


some ghosts are real enough (to be felt)

by divadrab



Series: All for the game AUs [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard Bonding, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Andrew Minyard Has Feelings, Andrew Minyard Loves Neil Josten, Andrew minyard in juvie, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexual Kevin Day, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, F/F, Gen, Happy Andrew Minyard, Happy Ending, M/M, Mentioned Drake Spear, Multi, Neil Josten as Nathaniel Wesninski, Original Character(s), POV Andrew Minyard, Pansexual Aaron Minyard, Parental David Wymack, Protective Aaron Minyard, Protective Andrew Minyard, Protective Neil Josten, Sassy Neil Josten, Slow Burn, Soft Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Wholesome Twinyards, andrew and neil meet in juvie, ghost au, neil josten is a ghost, planned murder, the twins make up and have the best relationship shut up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 29,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27416050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/divadrab/pseuds/divadrab
Summary: Andrew Doe got himself in a juvenile detention center to protect his brother.He did not expect to meet good people, find his family, and fall in love.A ghost!au where Neil Josten is a ghost and Andrew is helplessly in love
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Abby Winfield/David Wymack, Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Andrew Minyard & Cass Spear, Andrew Minyard & David Wymack, Andrew Minyard & Drake Spear, Andrew Minyard & Renee Walker, Kevin Day & Andrew Minyard, Kevin Day & David Wymack, Kevin Day & Neil Josten, Kevin Day/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten & Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick & Aaron Minyard, Nicky Hemmick & Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick & Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose
Series: All for the game AUs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2011606
Comments: 86
Kudos: 113





	1. Juvie is gonna be Fun!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew's first day in juvie. He meets Renée and Kevin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W!! Brief mention of self-harm and brief mention of suicidal thoughts

Andrew gulped as a guard handed him his assigned clothes, but he made sure his face was still as blank as ever. Living somewhere as the south meant that a lot of official buildings were old buildings or mansions, and this juvenile detention center was no different. Andrew had noticed the plaque with a moldy carving reading “Wesninski Manor.” As much as the 16-year-old was scared, it was for the best, Aaron was safe, and Drake can’t come near both of them, and what happens later was a future Andrew problem. After being led through the spacious hallways, across the large yard surrounded by two-story buildings, and up spiral stairs, the guard pointed at his new temporary bed. The room was massive, but the government had probably renovated it, as the walls between each couple of beds were freakishly white compared to the fading gray of the walls behind the beds. Luckily, he was assigned to the only single bed per chamber in that room, and he was secretly relieved; there were no doors between the cots, but he preferred a wall over anyone to his back. 

“Wake up call is 6 a.m, breakfast at 7, lunch is at 3, supper at 7, and lights out is 10. You’ll get a specialized schedule for the rest of the day by tomorrow morning. Behave, you’ll make everyone’s lives easier,” the seemingly bored guard said, but Andrew was too busy taking every detail of the small space, a resting glare masking his fear and curiosity. The ceiling was too high, higher than any house he’d ever been to. The barred windows were also huge, stretching from the middle of the wall to the ceiling. The whiteness behind his small cot was weirdly off, the shades different; a door looking space was obviously a result of the renovation, and as soon as the guard left, Andrew knocked on the door shaped shade. The knock sounded hollow and echoed back, which confirmed it was a door. Andrew hadn’t seen a room before this one, so it must lead to a secret room or the offices before it. He wondered if he would be able to drill through it to see, but the ache in his back and shoulders begged him to put it off for later. He turned back to assess the lump on his cot, placing his butt on it, and he determined it would be better than the floor in his 7th foster house, or his bed at Cass’s. 

The thought of Cass made his throat burn, but he pinched himself in the arm, he can’t cry on his first day, or ever, and he will not be weak, not anymore. He’ll plan for Drake’s murder while he’s here, and hopefully, Cass will believe him that her son is a filthy piece of horse shit and vomit. That’s why he was alive right then and there, why he wouldn’t press the blade just a bit harder, no matter how much he wanted to. There was also his brother, but Andrew didn’t want his brother to see him like this, broken, weak, and full of scars. He would deal with his twin after he was done with Drake; when Drake can’t come near anyone anymore.

He realized he’d been standing there staring at the whiteness for a while when he heard someone clear her throat behind him. Andrew twirled to find an Asian girl standing in the doorway of his chamber. She was a few inches taller than him, a kind smile that Andrew suspected hid more than it showed, and a big silver cross on her chest. Andrew decided from her aura and the general vibe that she was not the Christian girl she was trying to seem as, at least not every part of her is like that.

“Hello, I’m Renée, I’m in room 8, girl wing, but I’ve volunteered to show you around,” her voice was soft. Andrew decided he liked her, not because of her soft voice, but the unmasked fierceness in her eyes. He nodded in response, “Andrew,” he mumbled, his face devoid of any emotions, but Renée saw right through it; as she narrowed her eyes, but she didn’t comment.

Andrew trailed behind Renée as she showed him around; the infirmary was on the other side of the floor he was going to sleep on. The library was on the floor above his and it stretched across the whole floor. The old bookcases made of rich dark wood, the spines of the books cracked and decaying, a lot of them were about the economy, law, and human anatomy, which Andrew found weird, why would juvie have this much books about stuff like that. The Exy court was half the standard size; he guessed it used to be a garden because the grass was natural. The cafeteria was the same as the library; too large space, but the tables appeared to be from the renovations, as they didn’t scream ‘old and creepy’ vibes, also the wall facing the Exy court was transparent glass, for monitoring the inmates, he guessed. The rest of the facilities were bathrooms, administration offices, guard offices, classes, and other rooms that had the same system as his. 

“Dinner is nearing. I wouldn’t advise you to stay up after, tomorrow is gonna be tough because it’s your first full day. Hopefully, we share some classes, but if we don’t, you’ll find me here at lunch. Don’t try the lasagna. I have to help out in the kitchen now. I’ll see you at dinner?” Renée smiled after she was done showing him around. He nodded and pointed behind him, and she nodded back.

Andrew went back to his room, passing by all the chambers. Pretending he didn’t see the guys that flinched away from their too-close positions at the sound of footsteps, pretending he didn’t see the curious glances he got. He lied down after he took his shoes off and put them neatly, and stared at the bag thrown into the corner of the 6-by-6-foot chamber. Was this is what being safe felt like? Sure, his temporary bed wasn’t as comfortable as he would’ve liked, but he’d had worse. There were a lot of teenagers around him, but also a lot of guards, and he wasn’t sure which was worse. There was a scheduled time for food, which was good, he liked that. No one would sneak into his bed, the guards standing between every two chambers would notice, unless one of them decided to go in himself, his skin itched at the possibility of that, and he knew he was not getting sleep for the rest of his stay here. 

He spaced out with a mantra of ‘Drake is going to die, I’ll make sure of it, Aaron is safe, and he won’t hate you’ playing in his head. He would have missed supper hadn’t it been for the mini giant materializing in his doorway. Andrew snapped up, and the green-eyed boy flinched back slightly at the sudden movement. “I’ve been standing here for a while. Didn't you see me?” the boy asked

Andrew cursed himself for being distracted enough that he couldn’t see a giant ass human in front of him. Andrew couldn’t get a reply out of him before the boy talked again, “I’m Kevin, my bed faces yours, I was heading to supper, but you didn’t seem to be moving, so I thought I’d check on you. Don’t miss supper; they serve the cheap ramen today.”

Andrew nodded, “Andrew,” he gave his reply and followed the 6 foot something headed out. They went to the cafeteria again and stood in line. Kevin turned around to face Andrew as the line slowly moved up. “So, why are you here?” he asked.

Andrew craned his neck to look Kevin in the eye, “arson,” he muttered, and Kevin grinned, “same!”

Andrew rolled his eyes and flicked his fingers in a move up gesture, “stop talking to me.” Kevin took a step backward, “no, I like your vibe.” Andrew raised an eyebrow, Kevin shrugged and turned back around.

‘Juvie is gonna be fun,’ Andrew thought as Renée smiled and handed him a bowl of instant ramen, a water bottle, and an apple, while Kevin trailed behind him to find a table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Okay so I got this idea form a prompt; imagine your otp, but one of them is a ghost. Well I was planning on writing a small 5k one shot but as I kept planning for it, it got bigger and bigger. This is my first long fic, I hope it turns out as good as I want it to be. also this juvie is totally based on my school lmao. Im thankful none of students there know aftg (yes my school was an old official building, it was like an evangelical school for girls and I’m not exaggerating when I say the ceilings are high af and the windows are huge.) also the closed door is also part of my school and students actually drilled it to see what was on the other side, it was an empty classroom and v disappointing  
> tell me what you think? :)


	2. A Late Night Hallucination, or a Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew meets Neil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W!! Slight allusion to rape, nothing graphic, very brief description of the victims experience (nothing sexual, just his feelings about it). If it makes you uncomfortable, just skip the first paragraph, you just have to know that a figure appeared in Andrew’s doorway, nothing else.

It was Andrew’s third night at juvie when a figure appeared in his doorway. His throat constricted in fear and his heart felt like it was going to take a run outside his chest cavity. He struggled to shove the panic down, to get up, to scream for help. If it was an inmate, the guards would have seen him, but if it was a guard; he knew the others would be no better. The last thing he wanted to show others is that he was a weak target, so Andrew prepared himself to fight, he would not just lay there and let it happen. He tightened his fists. To fight, he convinced himself. But his traitorous brain went into auto-pilot mode: where he would just shut off, dissociate, wait it out.

Amid his freak out, he didn’t realize that the figure hadn’t moved, and it wasn’t really a figure, it was more of a faint light, barely even there. Hadn’t his eyes been staring into the emptiness of the darkness, he wouldn’t even have noticed it. The thought that he was imagining things didn’t make it any better, a sure sign that he had to sleep or else he would collapse soon. The figure seemed to move a bit in his direction, so he scooted farther up in his sitting position. 

“You’re scared,” a whisper broke the thick silence, and the hair on the back of Andrew’s neck stood in alarm. “Why are you scared?” the calm words washed over him, spiking his fear a little bit higher. Hallucination was a normal side effect of minimal sleep for him, but it was never this clear, this human. 

The figure approached at a steady rate and when it came close enough to stop at the foot of the bed, Andrew could see it was a boy. He looked as old as Andrew was, probably a bit younger, but his blurry features couldn’t confirm it. The soft light that surrounded it – him, Andrew corrected himself – seemed to be rolling off the boy himself. Andrew wanted to touch the blurry straight slope of his nose or the strong jaw that hung slightly ajar. And even though he couldn’t tell what the boy’s eye color was, he certainly knew his eyes were mesmerizing; as inhumane the boy looked, his eyes were too full of emotions not to be human. Dullness, Andrew noted, was one of the obvious emotions gleaming as bright as the boy’s light, but also curiosity was there, too. Looking at the boy reminded him of when one of his foster parents would take his eye-glasses as a punishment; Andrew was far-sighted, it wasn’t too bad, he could see people and identify their most prominent features, but it was blurry. However, he could see everything clearly, thanks to said glasses resting on his face right then – he barely took them off, especially at night in unfamiliar places, Andrew needed to memorize faces to know who he should look out for – except for the boy.

“Why are you scared?” he whispered again and Andrew clutched his knees to his chest. “Who are you?” he managed to croak out, his voice breaking because of the hours of being unused. The boy tilted his head and came a little bit closer, and the wave of coldness hit him like a brick; goosebumps littered his damaged body, and a shiver escaped him before he could stop it.  
“I asked first,” the blob of coldness said, and Andrew eyed it suspiciously. If he was hallucinating, might as well say it. 

“I don’t like unfamiliar places, feels unsafe,” Andrew replied, his voice barely going over 5 decibels. The boy seemed to accept that answer with no further prodding, “I’m Neil,”  
“Neil,” Andrew replied dumbly. “Neil, people called me Nathaniel before,” the boy added.

“Why did you change it?” Andrew tightened his hold on his knees. “I didn’t like being Nathaniel, Nathaniel is dead,” Neil – or Nathaniel? – added.  
Andrew’s brain short-circuited at that. Had anyone slipped him drugs? Or was he that tired that his brain came up with this fucked up version of whatever movie it had memorized before?The boy whose names start with N chuckled, deciphering Andrew’s tightened jaw as a sign of horror and fear correctly.

“I’m not a pipe dream,” Neil and/or Nathaniel said and Andrew shook his head, “you’re a hallucination.”

“I’m a ghost, I was killed right behind that wall,” he pointed at the wall behind Andrew’s bed and the latter thanked the higher power that stopped him from drilling into the wall and discovering a dead body. “I watched you for a while, and you’re scared, quiet, but strong. Saw you play exy, too. I think being a goalie suits you best. I didn’t talk to strangers for the longest time, but now you’re here and I’m dead, who’ll kill me if I did?” Neil laughed, and Andrew thanked the higher power, again, that he had an eidetic memory; if he could choose what he would remember from this strange night, it would definitely be this laugh.

“Kevin is nice enough, and you think someone had hurt him, I think so, too. Heard you murmur about it earlier. Renee is sweet, but that’s not the real her, you know that. I saw you watch her in the right places,” Neil, the more he talked the more Andrew felt like throwing up, said.

“I didn’t…see you watch me,” Andrew managed to reply, this time a little bit higher; due to the creeps climbing up his spine. Neil shrugged and before he could reply a flashlight blinded Andrew temporarily.

“Doe? Are you up, little monster? And talking to yourself?” Max, a guard, shone his flashlight around the small space, and then let it settle on Andrew again. The inmate shielded his eyes and grimaced, had Max missed Neil? He was standing right there, a smug grin on his face. 

“No, just thinking out loud for drama,” Andrew lied, but maintained eye contact, to seem honest. Max shrugged and left after he let out a tired, “get some sleep, kid.”  
“I can choose who sees me, and when,” Neil filled the silence again, but Andrew couldn’t reply, just stared at him in disbelief, he was right there, how could Max miss him?  
“Go to sleep, I’ll protect you,” Neil offered but Andrew shook his head, how could a probably drug-induced side effect protect Andrew from the monsters, living inside and outside Andrew’s head?

“Andrew, I didn’t follow you to the bathroom and always left when you were changing, but I know something wasn’t right for you, or else you wouldn’t be here, this on guard from everything. Trust me, I won’t let anyone near you,” Neil promised and Andrew wanted to believe him, so badly.

“You don’t know anything about me,” Andrew retorted, slightly defensive, and Max showed up again, with his blinding flashlight. However before he could scold Andrew again, Neil had stopped right in front of the guard, and Max just turned around and left again, as suddenly as he appeared. 

Andrew’s brain was having a hard time processing what just happened, and Neil appeared beside him again. “Told you I won’t let anyone near you,”  
Andrew collapsed on his back and passed out.  
When Andrew woke up, the detention center was full of activity. He could hear laughs, shouts, guards and inmates bickering, and general crowd noises. Kevin was in his doorway the second Andrew sat up and rolled his shoulder blades to release the ache in them.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Are you okay now?” Kevin asked and Andrew glared at him, “why didn’t you wake me up for breakfast?”

“Breakfast? It’s past supper; you slept through the whole day. Nurse Abby came to check on you when I couldn’t get you up in the morning, you had a fever. She signed you out of your classes and daily activities. Renee was here a while ago but she can't stay in the boy's wing after supper,” Kevin drilled on. Andrew realized that his brain felt fuzzy, no clear thought fluttered around. ‘Neil is real, Nathaniel is dead’ mushed with ‘you slept, nothing happened’ and ‘you were on drugs.’

“Did you see anything weird last night?” Andrew grimaced and rubbed his forehead. Kevin surged forward and made a motion to grab his arms, but Andrew reacted quicker and slammed his back to the wall, even in his haze, he knew not to let himself be touched casually. Kevin raised his arms in surrender, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you don’t like to be touched. Just, did anyone bother you at night? Anyone came into your room?” 

Andrew nodded, Neil hadn't bothered him, it was just an itch in his brain, because Neil didn’t make sense at all. “Come on, we’ll talk to Warden Wymack, he’ll reprimand whoever dared to,” Kevin said and exited the door, expecting Andrew to follow him. Andrew certainly did not want to turn to someone in authority; he knew they would fail him anyway. Kevin must have felt his hesitation because he came back, “Wymack is good, he’ll believe you. He always does,”

Grumbling, Andrew reluctantly got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and followed Kevin. His thoughts were coming back slowly, so he focused on organizing them while they walked, Kevin pressed closely to his back, but not touching him. ‘Talk to Wymack, take a shower, ask if he could eat. Talk to Wymack, take a shower, ask if he could eat. Talk to Wymack, take a shower, ask if he could eat,’ his head supplied and he agreed, that’s a solid plan, but the unsaid ‘think about Neil’ was louder than the previous statements. 

Andrew knocked on the Warden’s office, and a gruff “come in,” was heard through the door. He opened the wooden door and stepped into the office. Papers and thick binders covered every possible surface, including the floor. The juvie warden himself was looming over a stack of papers on the desk facing the door, but when he realized who his visitors were, he removed his reading glasses and shoved the stacks of paper from his guest chairs, motioning for them to sit down. The blonde crossed his arms and counted his breaths before saying anything. Kevin beat him to it, “someone bothered Andrew at night,” 

Wymack’s expression changed from inquisitive welcoming to absolute seriousness. Andrew watched as his eyes hardened and he grabbed a thick notebook from his desk and flipped through it. “You’re in B24, right? Officer Max Wells was on duty, didn’t he stop them? Did you see their face or did you get their name?” Wymack asked and Andrew secretly admired the older man. When he first set foot in the office and was met with the six feet of pure muscle, he wanted nothing but to bolt right out, but the gentle firmness of Wymack’s tone had him grounded. Andrew took a deep breath then let it out slowly, he had been planning on lying to Wymack, to let it pass, but for some peculiar reason, he didn’t, “he said his name is Neil.” Wymack frowned and flipped through his notebook, “Neil Franny? Tall, super white, brown eyes? He sleeps at G65, which is on the other side of the campus; an officer would surely have seen him. I will call them up, see if any of them were being sloppy, and didn’t pay attention, and Officer Max will be reprimanded. I heard you had a fever, did he cause it? Did he physically harm you?”  
Again, Andrew’s mind was blown at the unwavering trust in what Andrew said, he didn’t tell him he’s lying, or that he’s doing this for attention. Andrew tugged on the hair on the back of his head and leaned a bit into Kevin’s frame.

“it’s not him, he was short, and…said people used to call him Nathaniel,” Andrew whispered, and as if he had called the ghost from yesterday, Neil appeared in front of him, eyes dull as ever, with a hint of sadness around the edges. Like yesterday, he appeared as a fainting blurry light, and Andrew sucked in a startled breath and stumbled back into Kevin.  
“Ouch, Andrew, what the hell?” Kevin stumbled backward from the surprise of Andrew’s sudden motion. Wymack’s frown deepened and he looked around, trying to locate the source of Andrew’s demeanor. 

“What’s going on kid? We don’t have a Nathaniel in our database. You have to tell me the truth so that I could help you,” Wymack said, but Andrew couldn’t look away from Neil.  
“Tell him it was the fever, this is my secret, you can’t say it to anyone,” Neil whispered and Andrew regretted following Kevin. He wasn’t hallucinating, and if Neil is a ghost, then he is right, Andrew had no place telling on him. 

“It was probably the fever going down on me at night, it’s fine,” Andrew replied and Neil closed his eyes and tilted his head. “Are you sure, kid? I’ll post two officers on your door today, just in case,” Wymack decided and Andrew shook his head, Max already thought he’s talking to himself, he didn’t need two new men to think so, too.  
“Forget it, I’m sick, I just need to rest,” Andrew faked a yawn, and Wymack nodded, seemingly unconvinced. “Pass by Abby, she’ll give you some pills and write you a slip to get some food,”  
“Thank you, Warden. Sorry for bothering you,” Kevin smiled politely from behind Andrew. Wymack waved them off, “it’s my job, if it happens again, you come straight here,”  
The blonde nodded and turned to leave, Kevin trailing behind him. On the other side of the door, 6-foot-of muscles held up a hand to stop him, “if someone did bother you, tell him. Wymack does not tolerate such behavior, from both inmates and officers.” 

Andrew nodded, but his eyes were trained on the door as Neil passed effortlessly through the freaking wood. He was ready to pass out again. The grinned at him, and Andrew scowled, his brain was sure fucked up. Maybe another 18 hours of sleep would bring him back to normal. 

After picking up some colorful pills and ate the suspiciously yellow pizza, Andrew shooed Kevin away and went to the shower area. He saw Neil stop by the doorway, “don’t take the pills, they’re for fever, but you don’t have one.”

“A nurse checked me out and said I have one,” Andrew narrowed his eyes. Neil shrugged, “I raised your temperature so that they leave you alone, you needed to sleep,”  
Andrew frowned and entered the washroom. It was a huge area with stalls, which he was immensely grateful for, and grabbed a towel from the rack and a change of clothes. He dropped his dirty clothes in the hamper under his name tag and dropped the pills in the waste bin. He let the warm water wash the grime from his skin. 

When he got back in his bed, Neil appeared again. And Andrew didn’t even flinch, kind of expecting it. “I still think you aren’t real,” Andrew picked on the loose thread fraying on his blanket, and Neil shrugged.

“How did you raise my temperature?” Andrew asked, because not knowing things irritated him. “Being a ghost has its perks, I can manipulate stuff the way I want it. Like when I let you see me or when I stopped the guard from coming again. I think about it, and it just happens,” Neil explained and Andrew eyed him, still uneasy.  
“So you were with us when I went to Wymack’s office, and you didn’t let me see you until after I said your name,” Andrew supplied. The ghost shrugged again, “didn’t think you wanted to see me again, but they would have shipped you to a mental facility if they thought you were crazy. And it is my secret,”

Andrew nodded, “of course, I wouldn’t tell on you if I thought you are real…I just thought I was making you up, which apparently, I’m not,”

Neil shook his head and Andrew sighed, “I grew up in foster care, and recently found out I have a twin brother.” A truth for a truth, of some sort. Neil nodded at that, as if he understood why Andrew supplied this information, but didn’t ask any more questions, neither did he speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i do realize Andrew and Neil are kinda out of character, but theyre 16 in a juvie, they cant go to rooftops and smoke and be punny idiots. sorry :> also by the end of this Andrew will be better, mentally, and content with his life (no not happy, because trauma can not be erased like that, BUT he's gonna be content)  
> hi! I had an updating schedule planned, but I drank coffee late at night yesterday and though if I’m up, might as well write a chapter. So, I will update every Wednesday regularly, and whenever I have a chapter/extra content ready irregularly. Tell me what you think? Thank you!


	3. I Thought We Are Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late night ghost talk, ft. murder plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W!! Attempt to self-harm (no actual harm done, no blood) and mention of rape (nothing graphic. Just mention that it happened)

Andrew and Neil were lying in the small bed. Well, Andrew was lying in it, Neil just floated horizontally beside Andrew. They had been doing this for a while now. They had discovered that if Neil stayed away, Andrew has to whisper in a relatively high voice, which might alarm the guards. Neil stood in the middle of the bed for a couple of nights, but that had creeped Andrew out. So they settled on that; every day, the ghost would follow Andrew around, whisper jokes or comments in his ear, and Andrew would struggle to keep a straight face, and every night, they would lie down like this, trade life stories. Andrew learned that Neil was the son of the Butcher of Baltimore. 

“So…crime used to happen right where I’m sitting right now?” Andrew had asked dumbly. Neil had chuckled quietly. “Not exactly, this floor used to be for private rooms, that was my room, and this was my private lounge,” he had gestured to the room behind the renovated wall, then the small space they were in. 

Andrew learned that when Neil woke up as a ghost, he had been surprised that FBI agents were littering the place; he said his father had already killed him before the federals had come down on them. Andrew took in everything that Neil whispered into his ear; how when he was a child, he was not allowed to speak to strangers, to give away his identity, and how lonely he was. That night, Andrew deduced that Neil considered him a friend.

Also, Neil had learned that Andrew grew up in foster care. “Okay, worst mom award goes to you, Drew,” Neil had said when he learned that his mom gave him up. Andrew had smacked the ghost with a pillow and then had blushed when the pillow passed right through. Andrew, tearfully, told him how happy he was at Cass’s house, neglecting to mention Drake.

“Then, why are you here? I know it’s arson, but why did you do it, if you were happy?” Neil had asked. Andrew had flipped to the other side and ignored Neil for the rest of the night. Neil didn’t push for an answer and instead sang a song in French, which had soothed Andrew’s jarring thoughts. And Neil never brought it up again.

Not until Andrew opened his mouth and said, “What’s the best way to kill someone and get away with it?” Neil reached out and traced Andrew’s left eyebrow with his pointer finger, and Andrew closed his eyes as the coolness of Neil’s presence eased his too warm body. He took comfort in the fact that Neil can be this close to his body, but never be able to touch him.

“Depends on your budget and the person you want dead. If it was someone important, you’d have to go with something more natural or make it look like a suicide. Alcohol overdose or sleeping pills work if you’re low on money. Oleander does not get tested for in labs and is great if you already have the plant, could leave a paper trail if you don’t and are a suspect. My favorite is a gun, though. If it’s someone unimportant, lean on the natural causes. Suicide could be ruled out from family members’’ testimonies or therapist notes,” Neil said, after a beat.

Andrew chewed on that, and the following night, it was Neil’s turn to ask a question, “How bad would Kevin react if I showed up in his bed as I did with you?”

Andrew glared at him and the cheeky little shit dared to grin in response. Neil hummed in French after that, as if he knew Andrew instantly forgave him when he did. Andrew asked, “why did you show yourself to me?”

The ghost tapped his finger on his hand and stared at the ceiling for a while, Andrew waited for him to answer. “Well for one, what ties me here is hidden under the tiles under your bed. And I need to stay close to it, or I’ll fade away. Discovered that the hard way, when I tried to wander outside the mansion. And for two, you didn’t flinch when a kid had a pen stuck in his leg and you had to help Abby fix him.”

Andrew recalled that day, he had been on infirmary duty the evening before Neil showed up, “I did freak out when you came, though,”

“True, but you didn’t scream for help, or try to hurt me. You just…watched me come close,” Neil replied and Andrew shrugged, “learned to stay quiet and not ask for help all my life,”

“Hm, but if you went with the Oleander plan, you’d have had my help,” the ghost added. Andrew glared, “you saw me look for the flower book in the library?’

The ghost let a small smile creep on his face. Andrew fumed, “you asshole, you could’ve said it was on the sixth shelf before I spent three days holed up there, looking for it,”

Neil feigned innocence, “I don’t know where every book is placed,” 

“Liar, you said you spent a lot of your time in the library,” Andrew rolled his eyes. “Okay fine, I don’t want to be an accomplice to murder, I don’t look good in orange, it clashes with my hair,” Neil, the bastard, was grinning.

“You’re dead,” Andrew dead-panned, and Neil laughed, and then Andrew realized that Neil had, for the first time, mentioned something about his appearance. “Wait, your hair is auburn?”

“Dark ginger,” Neil muttered, looking away from Andrew, who was watching him. “Is this your way of saying you want to help me murder someone? Is the liberty of walking away a free man corrupting your moral compass? Or is it the murder father genes?”

Neil laughed, he always did that, which irritated Andrew, and if he could have smacked him, he would have done it already. “It’s the runaway mom,” Neil replied.

“Or psycho nanny,” retorted Andrew. “Or the British mob uncle,” supplied Neil, seriously, as if they were discussing the reason for the color of the sky. 

“I have to find a way to smack you, you’re annoying,” 

“I could possess you and then you’ll smack yourself and I’ll feel it,”

“You can do that?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never tried it before. But I am technically a soul with no body,”

“Try it on Kevin first,”

“He’d probably have a heart attack,”

“Would love to see that,”

“Hm,” Neil hummed as if he knew Andrew wouldn't really love to see that. The later watched the stillness of the ghost's chest, the life-less stare at the ceiling.

“Okay, do it,” Andrew decided. Neil was not real, and he physically could not touch Andrew, and the blonde would be touching his own body. the-too-human-ghost looked at him for a moment, reading the tension in his shoulders, Andrew waited for the 'are you sure?' 

“Not tonight, sometime else,” Neil firmly stated, and Andrew released a relieved breath, he had not completely digested the idea that a ghost will possess him, but he was also intrigued, so he was okay with the settlement.

The sometime else ended up rolling up a few days later when Andrew’s urge to control his pain was at its prime. He had woken up from a severe flashback nightmare because Neil made it uncomfortably cold, and then he had gotten into a fight to protect Kevin from some people who were calling Kevin albeit and homophobic slurs. Wymack had not been happy that it got physical.

“I’m here for a reason, Andrew,” he had said as Abby cleaned his split lip. Neil was standing right beside her, two sarcastic thumbs-up, “you manage to get into a fight while I wasn’t there to cheer you on? Or help you? I thought we are friends?”

Andrew rolled his eyes at both of them. Wymack wasn’t having it, “I’m not mad that you were doing it for Kevin. I saw the tape, those kids were being assholes, and they will be reprimanded. But the means cannot justify the ends. Next time you go to a guard, if they don’t help you, you come to me. Understood?” 

“Next time you tell Neil something exciting was gonna happen while you cleaned the ugly bathrooms and he’ll come with you,” Neil added and Andrew pointedly ignored him, “yes, sir.”

“Kinky,” Neil winked, and it took every ounce of self-control in Andrew’s body not to attack empty air.

Later, Andrew would go through his stuff, looking for anything sharp, but Neil would stop him. 

“Andrew, I can see that you’re in a lot of pain and that it’s about control,” Neil said as Andrew tried to unscrew the blade from a sharpener, ignoring the ghost.

“Please, listen to me. They could ship you somewhere or restrain you, that would be worse for you,” Neil pleaded and Andrew flinched at the first word, determined to finish the task at hand. He’d been going too hard that his finger slipped and his nail got nicked. 

“Fuck,” Andrew hissed, sticking his finger in his mouth to suck on the injury. 

“Andrew, okay, tell me what you need me to do, I want to help,” Neil got closer, and Andrew finally looked at the ghost, “you could physically stop me. Ha ha, get it? Because you're not real, and I am?”

“They’ll make you wear handcuffs, take away your belongings, put someone to watch you 24/7. I know you’ll hate that more than you hate what happened today,” Neil pleaded again, his eyes practically begging Andrew to stop. 

Andrew sighed and looked at the floor, “possess me, I want to do this, but you’re right,”

“No, I will not be taking your control from you, I won’t let you let me be like them. I’ll get Kevin and Renee, they could watch you,” Neil said. Andrew shook his head, “I don’t want to show them I’m weak,”

“Weak? What kind of bullshit is that? Look I don’t know what baggage you carry around, but I only know you do because I was trained to  _ notice _ every single tick in anyone. You hide it so well, and if that isn’t strength, I don’t know what is. You don’t let it  _ stop  _ you, or make you  _ hate _ . That’s strength, Drew, I told you I chose you because you’re strong. But strength does not mean you don’t have bad days, strength does not mean you forget and ignore every bad thing that happens to you.” Neil looked him in the eyes and stated that which made Andrew almost believe him.

“I was…raped,” Andrew confessed to his lap, and Neil places his hands above Andrew’s. “The world has its monsters; I’ll help you kill every single one of them,”

Andrew looked up into Neil’s eyes, the dullness never gone, but now determination added to the mix. “It’s just this one, and I’m ending him, even if it means I go back here,”

“So, Oleander? You tell me about your plans. I’ll point out the flaws from a criminal’s perspective,” Neil distracted Andrew with that, which worked well, as Andrew’s frustration was channeled into determination. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR 150+ hits!!! for people who read my first chap before I edited it!! I changed a word in it. I said that Neil was buried in the hidden room before, but now I made it that Neil was killed there (because a body buried on the floor didn’t make sense and the smell would give it away. HI!!! I have no self-control and I wrote this instead of studying for my philosophy test (but corona canceled school the day of the test sooooo who’s the winner now). Tell me what you think? :)


	4. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass visits Andrew  
> Riko visits Kevin  
> ft. a pinch of Andreil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W!! ALLUSION TO SUICIDAL THOUGHTS (slight contemplation about people's reaction to Andrew's suicide. no description/ he won't say anything triggering) and allusion to rape (no description at all)

“It’s visiting day tomorrow,” Kevin said, he looked nervous. Andrew focused back on peeling the potatoes between his hands. Not looking up, he replied, “so?”  
“Is anyone gonna visit you?” Kevin’s voice was tight. Andrew shrugged, “my loving and caring mother, my ever-present twin brother, maybe even my attentive father,”  
“Oh,” Kevin let out which made Andrew roll his eyes, “I was being sarcastic,”  
“Oh,” Kevin repeated, relief tinging his tone. “I’ll hold your hand; if you’re shy, Day,” Andrew raised an eyebrow.  
“Oh,” Kevin said happily, accepting Andrew’s offer, which made Neil snort from his quiet hover beside Andrew. The blond couldn’t ask what was up with either of them; Neil would listen to Kevin’s concern without his knowledge, which violated Kevin’s privacy. And Kevin would be confused as to Andrew was talking to air.

  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  
Andrew sat at the sticky blue plastic bench, Kevin settling on the bench next to him. Neil had asked if he could tag along with Andrew, the latter had only agreed because he doubted anyone would visit him. He nodded at Renee who settled a few seats over, then he placed his chin in his palm, eyes fixed on a dirty splash on the wall. For relatively clean juvie, the visiting room was sure dirty. Kevin fidgeted next to him, and Andrew snapped his fingers three times in his direction, without taking his eyes off the wall. And then the guards opened the door, and as soon as Cass stepped foot in the crappy space, Andrew bolted up. Neil tilted his head, watching. Kevin’s eyes darted between Andrew’s hardened face and Cass’s tear-streaked face. 

  
“Oh, Andy. Baby, I missed you,” Cass breathed out as soon as she was within hearing distance, she opened her arms, for Andrew to hug her, and he obliged. He let her engulf him, his arms resting limply by his side, for two seconds, before he shrugged out of her hold. 

  
“How are you, pumpkin? Are you eating well? Are you sleeping well? Are you making friends?” Cass shot as she settled on the bench facing him. Andrew swallowed thickly, but before he could answer, Kevin sucked in a sharp breath. Andrew’s head snapped to the door, where a short east-Asian man smirked, he glanced at Kevin who waved him off, then settled his gaze back at the only thing that ever resembled a mother figure to him.

  
“I’m fine,” Andrew mumbled, spotting Kevin’s visitor sit down from his peripheral vision. He also saw Neil move to stand between Kevin and the man. Andrew felt guilty that Cass had to drive up here, that she had to see him in an orange jumper. 'No, you did the right thing, you’re protecting blood. Blood comes before anything else', his mind chided, and he shut himself up. Grabbing Cass’s hands, he asked, “how are you? Are the little ones okay?”

  
“Andy, you won’t believe how much Gracie has grown! And little Ricky, he doesn’t cry at night anymore, it’s amazing,” Cass gushed and Andrew gulped, this means Drake found his replacement. Suddenly, the idea of protecting blood sounded so selfish, especially that said blood hated him either way.

  
“They keep crying for you, especially Ricky. Saying he sees monsters at night, and only you can take them away, but I know how to comfort them. It’s only eleven more months, and you’ll be back with us, right, pumpkin? You won’t get into more trouble, everyone misses you,” Cass grinned. Andrew wanted to tear his hair out but he tightened his hold on Cass's hands.   
“Drake?” Andrew breathed out, he needed to know that he was away, that Ricky’s life wasn’t being ruined because of Andrew.

  
“Oh, honey, he died in combat the week after your transfer here,” Cass's eyes became glossy, and Andrew gasped in return. A huge part of him was relieved Ricky was safe from that monster. The other part, though; Drake was… _dead_. Before Andrew could get to him. 

  
“ **YOU FAILED, YOU FAILED, YOU FAILED!** ” His head taunted in a sing-song tone, and Neil suddenly appeared in front of him. Andrew looked up, eyes wide in defeat, brow glistening with sweat, mouth gaping like a goldfish.

  
“you need to get Kevin out, now. That bitch is threatening him. He can’t do anything physical but his words are getting to Kev – are you okay?” Neil let out in a single breath. Andrew frowned at the ghost and the latter moved closer to him, raising a hand and rubbing Andrew’s cheek with his invisible hand. The blond couldn’t feel anything but coolness on his face, which snapped him to the task at hand. 

  
He stood up abruptly, Cass following suit, “Andy, I’m sorry. He loved you so much,”

  
“I need to go. Kevin, up, now,” Andrew snapped his fingers at Kevin and the taller boy slowly got up, eyes still stuck on the bitch. Andrew and Kevin left the visiting rooms, Neil following them.

  
“He abuses you,” Andrew surveyed the unfocused Kevin. “Yeah,” trailed off Kevin. 

  
They stayed silent for a while, Andrew thinking about how much Cass would be hurt if she lost two sons in the span of half a year. Aaron probably wouldn’t care; they don’t know each other, either way. Would he stay like Neil? He looked at where Neil hovered beside Kevin, his hands engulfing Kevin in a hug. Kevin’s head snapped up, “your life isn’t worthless,” 

  
“What the fuck?” Andrew grouched in response, how did he know? “I don’t know, it just…came to my head, and I had to say it,” Kevin replied.

  
Neil, who had been quiet all this time, “I didn’t say anything, I swear. He’d have to see me if I wanted to talk to him, and you wouldn't see me if I possessed him,”

  
Andrew nodded, as a response to both of them. After a beat of absolute silence, Kevin opened his mouth.

  
“You’ve protected me from bullies here,” Kevin waited until Andrew nodded then he hesitantly continued, “protect me from Riko, and I’ll give you something to live for.”  
Neil moved from Kevin’s side to Andrew’s, so Andrew made up his mind and nodded again. 

  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  
“You looked unsettled when I came to you,” Neil baited later that night, and Andrew retorted with one of his own, “you looked after Kevin when I couldn’t,”  
Neil watched him for a long time, waiting. It was fair, it wasn’t a question and Andrew had the option to ignore it. “Drake is dead,” Andrew finally spit out, and Neil caressed his cheek.  
“I want to show myself to Kevin,” Neil replied. Andrew shrugged, “do whatever you want, stupid head,” Neil smiled softly, a bit sad. Andrew drifted off, after starring into his strangely calming eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi hello!!  
> thank you fo reading <3 <3  
> feedback and constructive critisim is highly appreciated


	5. So, You're the Ugly Twin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew makes a call, Kevin meets Neil, and the twins meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warnings this chapter!

“Are you gonna make the call or not, kid? We don’t have all day,” the guard said and Andrew clutched the phone tighter. He looked at Neil who smiled softly. Andrew let out a breath slowly and dialed the number he knew better than his name.

“Hello?” Cass’s voice made Andrew take a sharp intake of oxygen. Neil moved a little bit closer and traced Andrew’s eyebrow and nose, the coldness snapped the blonde back to the task at hand.

“It’s Andrew,”

“Andrew! Pumpkin, you okay? Do you need anything?”

“…Can you tell Aaron to come,”

“Aaron? Honey, I don’t know if his mother would let him come with me, maybe-”

“No, I want him to come on his own. I don’t want you there,”

“O-of course, sweetheart. Is everything alright?”

“Yes.”

“Pumpkin, you can tell me. If you’re bothered by anything or you need anything, I can bring it or have it delivered to you,”

“No, I’m fine,”

“Okay, I love you, my sweet pumpkin,”

Andrew’s eyes teared up at that, his throat felt constricted, “…me too,”

“I’ll deliver the message; I’ll try my best to convince his mom,”

“Okay,”

Andrew hung up after that. The phone call was Kevin’s idea. The taller boy had been living up to his promise, trying to find anything Andrew would find mildly interesting. They had tried meaningless activities like baking, drawing, and exy, but Andrew didn’t think any of them were worth it.

So Kevin decided to pull an, “if you don’t tell me anything about yourself, then I’ll keep making you go through everything till we find what’s right for you,”

So, Andrew reluctantly told Kevin about his life at Cass’s.

“You don’t have any living family members?” Kevin had asked, his anger targeted at Andrew’s mistreatment, not the boy himself.

“I have a mother that gave me up and a twin that hates me,”

“Why does your brother hate you?”

Andrew locked eyes with Kevin for a minute or so, before Neil came into the room. Neil liked to follow Andrew around. Sometimes though, he didn’t. He just wandered around or hung out in Wymack’s office. He said an angry Wymack was super funny.

“Wymack is gonna lessen the guards around you, said he trusts you not to go feral anymore, now,” Neil said, apparently have spent his morning eavesdropping on the juvie warden. Andrew broke eye contact to acknowledge Neil’s presence.

“Were you about to kiss and I cock-blocked?” Neil asked, settling beside Kevin and placing a hand above his shoulder, to spread some heat (Andrew discovered that Kevin is always cold, no matter the weather, and that Neil liked warming him up). Kevin sighed in content and Neil grinned.

“You can still do it, I’ll close my eyes,” the ghost closed his eyes, and Andrew glared harder.

Andrew cleared his throat, “He…wanted to meet with me, but I sent him a letter telling him to fuck off. So he probably hates me now,”

“AHA! You said probably, you don’t know for sure. Call him,” Kevin, who had been busy basking in the warmth to notice Andrew glaring at the air, said.

“I don’t know his number,”

“Make Cass call him,”

Andrew had nodded and put it off until Neil acted as if he was poking him in the ribs later that night.

“You’re not gonna call Cass,” Neil noted and Andrew shrugged, “it’s pathetic, I told him to fuck off, and now that I’m in juvie, I ask him to come?”

“So…you’re worried he’s gonna think you’re weak,”

“Yeah,”

“Well, you don’t know him, at all. You’re twins, but that doesn’t mean you think the same way. He might see this as a peace offering, or a show of vulnerability, or a muscle flex that you’re a bad boy. Besides, he has the option to say no. You did and he listened, didn’t barge into your bedroom, did he? He might find it safer to say no, even, you can’t do anything about him not coming from here. So, his choice would be your answer. If he came, he doesn’t hate you. If he didn’t, he does,” Neil reasoned, and Andrew hated him a little bit more.

“You’re not supposed to have a brain, how are you able to think?” Andrew wondered and Neil laughed.

A week later, Kevin was hanging out in Andrew’s room, “did you call Cass?”

“I did,” Andrew replied, And Kevin grinned in satisfaction, and Neil laughed from where he was stuck to Kevin’s side. Andrew watched them, if Neil hadn’t been a ghost, they’d make a good couple.

Neil got up and stood facing Kevin, the latter’s eyes became saucers, he physically recoiled his back meeting Andrew’s bed. “A-Andrew- are you see-seeing  _ that _ ,”

“Who? Neil? Don’t mind him he’s an asshole-y ghost,” Andrew replied calmly.

“Hi, Kevin,” Neil grinned and Kevin flinched. “Hey, it’s okay,” Neil moved closer, a hand extended, and Kevin squirreled back, unsuccessfully. Andrew stepped in, “Neil, get back,”

Neil obliged, he looked kind of hurt, but Kevin was rightfully freaked out. “Do you want me to hold your hand?” Andrew knew Kevin, who nodded, would say yes.

Andrew threaded their fingers together and Kevin relaxed a little bit. “He’s…a ghost?” he squeaked.

“He can hear you, ask him that. He can’t physically touch you,” Andrew replied, but Kevin didn’t seem to be comforted at that, “he could still possess me,”

“I would have, if I wanted to, without you knowing,” Neil supplied and the panicked boy squeaked again, for a six-foot giant ass, he sure as hell was a baby.

“I didn’t, Riko is a bitch,” Neil said, and Kevin gasped, “ _ you’re  _ why he couldn’t touch me? He tried to hold my wrist, but he said my skin gave him an electric shock,”

“hmm, can I come closer, Kevin? I won’t hurt you,” Neil asked and Kevin nodded. Neil warmed him and Kevin's shoulders instantly became loose, he even let go of Andrew’s hand, and scooted a bit farther, knowing Andrew would prefer it.

“You’re the reason I feel warm inside, too?” Kevin's voice seemed like he was drunk, slurry, and happy. Neil nodded and Kevin launched into a full-on interview. Andrew watched them silently, Kevin’s passion and ambitions glowing and Neil’s strength and acceptance shining.

Two weeks later, Andrew found himself sitting on the same plastic bench, this time Kevin sat on the same bench as him, and Neil floated on his other side. They knew Riko won’t be coming because Kevin had told Wymack that he didn’t want any visitors, and the warden had complied. They sat in silence, Neil and Kevin generating chillness, keeping Andrew’s head from spiraling too much.

And then, Aaron appeared. Andrew’s throat felt prickly, he stood up anyway. Aaron spotted him and walked towards them, a shaky smile on his lips. “Hi,” he breathed out as soon as he came close enough.

“Hi, doppelgänger,” Andrew replied, relieved that his brother doesn’t completely hate him, according to Neil at least. “Aaron, this is Kevin. Kevin, as you can see, my clone,”

Aaron threw a glance in Kevin’s direction and nodded, before settling down facing Andrew. Aaron looked around, and Andrew looked at his twin. They were exact copies of each other, but Aaron had a nose ring, black kohl smudged under his eyes. His hair was ruffled and a black hoodie with a drawing of a broken red heart was tucked into his black pants, a belt, and chains around his waist. And he had a badly covered bruise on his cheek.

“Kevin, let’s go to Renee, she’s waving you over,” Neil said and Kevin, whose eyes were stuck on Aaron, got up and followed the ghost, leaving the twins alone.

“Who hurt you?” 

Andrew couldn’t help but ask and Aaron’s hand instinctively rose to his bruised cheek, smudging the concealer better. “Oh, it’s nothing, I bumped into a door,” Aaron laughed.

Andrew tried again, “I like your chains,”

Aaron smiled and looked at his lap, “thanks, I’m trying to find my style.”

“You look good, you have to teach me how you do that with your eyes when I get out,” Andrew threw the bait and Aaron looked up and smiled, “sure, Andrew,”

They both stayed quiet for a while, watching each other.

“So…what do you want to do for college?” Aaron asked after a while, and Andrew shrugged, “law, probably. You?”

“I want to be a doctor,” Aaron answered, looking embarrassed, Andrew nodded.

“Is this awkward? Should I go?” Aaron asked and Andrew shook his head, his twin continued, “when Cass called mom, I was so happy. But she…didn’t want me to come. I told her I’m in the library,”

Andrew nodded, and Aaron fell silent, his eyes darting around. “And if she found out you’re here?”

“I…don’t know. She’ll ground me, normal parenting punishments,” Aaron lied and Andrew raised an eyebrow.

“You can tell me, Aaron,”

Aaron shrugged, “are you going back to your foster mom when you get out?”

“I don’t have a biological family that wants to take me,”

Aaron rested his face in hand, “I’m sorry she took me back,”

“It’s not your fault,”

“I want you to stay with us, Andrew,”

“It’s okay, Aaron.”

“Our uncle is trying to convince her. I  _ want _ you to be with us,”

Andrew nodded, and Aaron relaxed at that. Aaron suggested 21 questions and Andrew agreed to play. Then they played two truths and a lie, they spent the rest of the afternoon talking, and Andrew found it endearing to share small details about himself and receiving minuscule information back. Before Aaron had to leave, he asked, “can I hug you?”

Andrew nodded lightly, and Aaron placed his arms below Andrew’s armpits. Andrew went for Aaron’s neck, and they each squeezed for exactly two seconds, before letting go.

Later, Kevin would say “so, you’re the ugly twin,” and he’d get a lighthearted punch in response, while Neil laughed at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! okay i know i'm late with this one. Corona changed my test schedule and i had to adjust, also i was running away from this chapter. i hope you like it, though!!   
> your thoughts on goth Aaron?


	6. EXTRA: TWINYARDS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twinyards play 20 questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no trigger warning! i talked about religion a bit, but what i said had no intent to offend any religious people!! you do you, guys!! this is just my opinion!!

**AARON:** what’s your favorite color?

 _ANDREW:_ black.

 **AARON:** green.

 _ANDREW:_ like the ugly neon one or like the pastel shade

 **AARON:** uh, like grass

 _ANDREW:_ boring. Favorite food?

 **AARON:** sushi!

 _ANDREW:_ I’ve never had sushi before…mine is bread

 **AARON:** we’ll go when you get out. Bread, like plain or the pain au lait or like the one with the sugar coating.

 _ANDREW:_ sugar coating, I’ll take you to my favorite bakery.

**AARON:** okay. What’s your least favorite vegetable? Mine is zucchini, ugh

_ANDREW:_ peas. They taste like someone chewed it for you and then encased in weird plastic.

 **AARON:** ANDREW! OH MY GOD! I’ll never eat peas again. *retches*

 _ANDREW:_ Pet peeve?

 **AARON:** when people chew loudly. Or like make noises when they chew.

 _ANDREW:_ same, it’s annoying. Learn your table manners.

 **AARON:** hobbies?

 _ANDREW:_ I play exy here

 **AARON:** you’re a jock! *laughs*

 _ANDREW:_ shut up

 **AARON:** sorry sorry. I play the clarinet

 _ANDREW:_ you’re a band kid! *mocking Aaron*

 **AARON:** *laughs* that’s creepy

 _ANDREW:_ *hums* favorite movie genre?

 **AARON:** ooh! Space Aliens and stuff like that

 _ANDREW:_ classic. Anything that has explosions and guns

 **AARON:** favorite book?

 _ANDREW:_ Anna Carnina.

 **AARON:** hated it going through high school. Too sad. Mine is The subtle art of not giving a fuck

 _ANDREW:_ mama’s boy likes naughty words?

 **AARON:** actually the fuck is censored on the cover.

 _ANDREW:_ you didn’t disagree. What’s your favorite curse word

 **AARON:** it’s not your turn!

 _ANDREW:_ fine. Go.

 **AARON:** What’s your favorite curse word?

 _ANDREW_ : dirty move. It’s heck, and people underappreciate it. hell and fuck? Spectacular combo

 **AARON:** I used to whisper fuck twenty times every night before I slept because mom used to say monsters eat boys who say it.

_ANDREW:_ so your savant 7 year old brain decided to see what it’s like being eaten by a monster

 **AARON:** I was 6, but yeah.

 _ANDREW:_ least favorite curse word?

 **AARON:** motherfucker. Can’t describe mom’s dates better than that.

 _ANDREW:_ dick. It’s an organ, how can it be a curse word. you don’t go around calling people appendix.

 **AARON:** appendix is fun though. I’m gonna start calling you that

 _ANDREW:_ suit yourself, spleen

 **AARON:** *grins* appendix. Do you like the white light bulb or the yellow one?

 _ANDREW:_ white.

 **AARON:** me too.

 _ANDREW:_ are you religious?

 **AARON:** I go with mom to church, but not really? Like I don’t pray for the sake of it, only because I have to. I believe in God, though. Everything Jesus related is confusing.

 _ANDREW:_ right. The idea of the holy trinity makes no sense. How is there one God but also three?

 **AARON:** right? Also the original bible was changed 300 years after Jesus, so we can’t know what part is original and what part are human words.

 _ANDREW:_ I’m more of an atheist.

 **AARON:** some place you’d like to visit?

 _ANDREW:_ a graveyard. I’ve never been in one.

 **AARON:** I was gonna say Spain, but you know what? A Spanish graveyard.

 _ANDREW:_ copycat. Favorite saying?

 **AARON:** if the shoe doesn’t fit

 _ANDREW:_ why?

 **AARON:** I don’t know, I like it.

 _ANDREW:_ hm, mine is I’ll burn the bridge when I get to it.

 **AARON:** nice. Favorite subject? Mine is biology.

 _ANDREW:_ English. Most used emoji?

 **AARON:** the laughing one

 _ANDREW:_ i don’t have a phone. Cass thinks I’m too young

 **AARON:** you’re 16!

 _ANDREW:_ *shrugs*

 **AARON:** which era would you like to live in?

 _ANDREW:_ uhhh, this one. All eras sucked in their own way.

 **AARON:** totally get you, we have European roots, I don’t want to be a Nazi

 _ANDREW:_ or dead because of rodents. Favorite dinosaur?

 **AARON:** T-rex

 _ANDREW:_ lame. Mine is Brachiosaurus.

 **AARON:** are you an early bird or a night owl?

 _ANDREW:_ night owl. Can’t imagine waking up at 6 willingly.

 **AARON:** me neither, it’s weird.

 _ANDREW:_ tea or coffee? I’ll go with coffee

 **AARON:** tea. Coffee is too bitter

 _ANDREW:_ I put heaps of sugar into mine

 **AARON:** I don’t but I can’t drink it if it didn’t have heaps of sugar in it. Tell me a secret no one knows about you.

 _ANDREW:_ that’s not a question, but I hate hippos.

 **AARON:** *laughs* why?

 _ANDREW:_ I don’t know. They have a weird color

 **AARON:** mine is that I like cuddling something when I sleep.

 _ANDREW:_ you’re such a baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! i woke up at like 5 AM and i was like let me write but i couldnt squeeze my brain enough for a chapter, so have this instead <3


	7. They have to Expect a Pain in the Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew applies to get out of juvie early  
> ft. a hint of cottagecore Aaron and twinyards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No T.W!!

“What happens to you when I leave?” Andrew asked the night after Aaron’s fourth visit. Andrew always felt lighter after chatting with his brother, who he discovered, is very enthusiastic about having a twin.

“What happens to me?” Neil repeated, opening an eye and staring up at Andrew. “You’re staying here?” Andrew elaborated, his mouth suspiciously dry.

“I can’t be away from this spot for long; I told you that, didn’t I?” Neil replied, closing his eyes again and humming.

“What’s special about this spot in particular?”

“The knife that my dad killed me with is buried under a tile here,”

Andrew did a double-take, “what?”

“Yeah, it’s what tethers me to earth,” Neil shrugged as if it’s a very normal phenomenon to bury the knife you used to kill your son with in his private lounge.

“Would you want to come with me?” Andrew admitted after a beat of silence. Neil looked at him like Andrew just offered the cure for cancer. The dullness in his eyes was almost gone, shock and bewilderment taking over.

“I…can’t. The knife,”

“I’ll steal it, take it out. Come on, I can’t deal with Aaron’s constant need to know every single detail about me on my own,”

“Aaron? You’re going to your egg donor?”

“Yeah, he said our,” Andrew swallowed at the ‘our’, it was still weird for him to get used to saying it, “uncle convinced…Tilda to take me back,” he still refused to call Tilda mom, though.

When Aaron grinned and said they had to share a bed until their uncle had the handymen assemble Andrew’s new bed, the latter wanted to get up and get back to his chamber. The bruise barely hidden by the hem of Aaron’s green shirt glared at him. If his suspicions were right, Aaron needed him more than Andrew needed Cass, so he nodded stiffly in response. Even if life with Cass seemed like a fairytale now, with Drake dead, he couldn’t pretend he can’t read the hopeful look on Aaron’s face. Pretend he couldn’t see the haphazardly covered bruises. Pretend that he didn’t like bonding with his brother, having someone to talk to about awful movies, or bicker over whether bananas were berries. 

Aaron had probably thought his twin’s rigid shoulders were because of the idea of sharing beds. “Hey! I’m an awesome bedmate, I’ll only shove my feet in your mouth twice!” he had shrieked, like a five-year-old, his jeans overalls, flower embroidered bucket hat, and round glasses, only adding to the softness of his joy.

Andrew had threatened to cut off his feet if they came so much as a meter near his mouth and Aaron had laughed.

Neil stopped humming, which made Andrew snap his head in his direction. “Do you like having him around you?” Neil threw against Andrew’s buzzing thoughts.

“He’s family,” Andrew replied as if it justified everything or summed up his fluctuating feelings.

“Well, my family killed me, your family gave you up, and Kevin’s family abused him. Blood doesn’t tie us to anyone,” Neil reasoned and Andrew wanted to shove him off the bed.

“He didn’t give me up, he reached out first, he came when I asked him to,” Andrew retorted.

“I know, Drew, I know you don’t blame him for anything. Living with the person who gave you up? Would that be comfortable for you? Cass wants you back, too,”

“Aaron didn’t call me a liar, didn’t say whatever is happening to me is a misunderstanding,” Andrew scoffed, referring to all those times Cass turned a blind eye whenever he tried to make her son’s actions known.

Neil started humming again and Andrew ignored him for about an hour. He analyzed and re-thought every step he was going to do, every single task he could never get back from, finally, he decided that putting Aaron over Cass was the right thing to do.

“Okay, I’ll go with you. Are you going to apply for a shortened sentence?” Neil said after Andrew’s shoulders relaxed in confirmation of his decision.

“I have to stay for Kevin,” Andrew replied, stopping relief from flooding his voice. “I’ll stay, if you apply, you could get out in 4 months. Kevin only has 5 more,” Neil trailed his hand over Andrew’s arm after he received a nod for his raised eyebrow. The goosebumps on Andrew’s arm itched.

“Why?”

“Why would I want you to have a month of privacy to bond with your twin? Or why would I want to protect Kevin from his abusers?"

“Both, either,”

“Because I will be annoying your ass the second I step foot in a house with two yous, you deserve a mental preparation for that. And because Kevin is my friend,”

“Then go sleep in his bed, he’ll appreciate your warmth,”

“I don’t sleep, I’m a ghost,”

“Then stare at him creepily as he sleeps, snuggling into your nonexistent body,”

“The warmth soothes him, the chill keeps your head above the water, I can be a space heater for you, too. If that’s what you’re bullying me for,”

“Shut up, Neil”

The next morning, Andrew headed to Wymack’s office. A week later, a judging panel asked him annoying questions that he had to answer politely. Two weeks after that Wymack called him to his office and told him he could use his private landline to call whoever in his family he wanted to, to tell them that ‘they have to expect a pain in the ass sooner than they thought’. Andrew called Aaron and his twin cried over the phone. Neil hovered around him through it all.

“I promise I won’t shove my feet in your mouth, appendix,”

“Fuck yourself, spleen,”

And if Andrew’s eyes had been a little watery, well Wymack didn’t comment.

Kevin asked if he could hug him after they set their food trays on the table. Andrew shook his head and Kevin accepted that with a smile.

“I’m happy for you Andrew,”

“Thank you,”

Neil made a motion as if he’s petting Kevin’s arm.

“It’ll only be a month, right?”

“Yes, Kevin. Then you can crash on the couch, and then we’ll squish Riko. Neil is gonna be with you,”

“Okay,”

Neil interrupted, “but you need to keep my knife with you,”

“Your knife?” Kevin asked, eyes wide. Andrew rolled his eyes, “it’s what keeps him here, we need to get it out with you so that Neil gets out with us,”

“How am I going to sneak a  _ knife _ when I’m being discharged? Do I shove it up to my naked butt? Or would you two love-sick fuckers like me to swallow it as they go through every inch of my body?” Kevin shrieked quietly, they were surrounded by inmates and guards, after all.

“Or you could ask your father to keep it with him and just hand it to you when you visit him,” Neil smiled and Andrew raised an eyebrow in the choking Kevin’s direction.

“Wymack is my biological dad,” Kevin murmured after a while and Andrew nodded, “if you wanted to meet him that bad, you could have called him. No need to burn a house down,”

“He doesn’t know, and  _ I  _ didn’t burn that house down, Riko did. You already know that” Kevin replied and Neil giggled at him. 

“Yeah, yeah, Riko wanted to kill you because you’re more talented at stickball,”

“YOU DID NOT JUST INSULT THE  _ GREATEST _ INVENTION, WHICH WAS MY  _ MOTHER’S _ ” Kevin screeched, audience be damned.

“ANDREW, KEEP THE GREATEST INVENTION WHICH WAS KEVIN’S MOTHER’S, OUT OF YOUR MOUTH,” Neil screeched, with equal horrification, except his audience was smaller.

“Stickball stickball stickball stickball stickball stickball stickball stickball,” Andrew chanted and Kevin, whose face was so red Neil had to scatter away from him, threw a fry at the blonde, who only shut up after a guard came too close to his liking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! i hope you're enjoying!!   
> comments really make my day <3 <3   
> thank you!!!


	8. Shit is About to Get Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew asks for a favor and says his goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warning!

The day before Andrew is let out to freedom, he was asked to clean out his room one last time, which was the perfect opportunity for Andrew to finally unbury Neil’s knife. And thus, Andrew shoved a spoon down his trousers when no one was looking during his kitchen duty. He waited until after lights out to shimmy under his bed, Neil floating head and unhidden torso guiding him through the darkness.

“Feel around the tiles, it’s under the one that has no paste on the side,” Neil said, and Andrew tried to not be weirded out by the fact that the ghost’s lower body was technically hanging from the second floor’s ceiling.

“It’s dusty as fuck,” Andrew whispered back, never in his life had he been grateful about the fact that he was as tiny as a child and capable of fitting comfortably under a bed.

“Apologies, your Highness, the tardy maids will be heavily punished,” Neil responded, making Andrew’s mind and fingers stutter.

“Remind me why I’m taking you with me again?” Andrew murmured, however, his fingers didn’t stop looking for the desired gap. He exhaled slowly when his pinky found the infamous gap.

“You found it, Andrew, move your hand a bit to the left,” Neil, whose face is so close to Andrew’s that the latter almost reached out to stroke his hair at some point, said. Andrew rolled his eyes in response and produced the stolen spoon, wedging it in the gap and pushing from the other side, flipping the tile over.

The leather on the handle shocked Andrew; it was very smooth, obviously very taken care of but deteriorating from the negligence. The blonde removes the knife from its cozy caved concrete, the sharpness of its blade alarming Andrew again. If it hadn’t been sharpened for over a year, and it was that sharp, it must have sliced thin air back when Neil was still alive.

“It was my knife. He liked to treat me as if I’d carry his legacy. Giving me this as a gift then killing me with it, ironic, right?” Neil’s tone was offhanded as if he’s just giving bad reviews to a restaurant. Andrew didn’t comment and tucked the fancy knife in the waistband of his trousers.

The next day, Andrew went to Wymack’s office, Neil trailing behind him. For once, Neil is emitting warm energy for Andrew, and strangely, it was making Andrew calmer.

“Andrew, I was expecting you,” Wymack nodded at him after he entered. Andrew nodded back. In his stay at this juvie, Andrew had been impressed by Wymack’s authority. Fights were minimal, everyone in juvie played their role, and the warden did not tolerate usual horror stories from prisons, and for that Andrew respected him.

“I need you to safe-keep something for me and deliver it to Kevin after he gets out of here,” Andrew responded in the same straight-forward tone.

Wymack surveyed him for a moment, his sleep-deprived eyes roaming all over Andrew’s face. Neil hovered a little bit closer and switched temperatures, “he’ll do it, Kevin said he would,”

“Why didn’t you send Kevin before? If you knew I’m his dad. Why yesterday?” Wymack finally asked and Andrew didn’t lower his eyes, as much as he wanted to.

“Kevin is not my dog, I don’t boss him around. He does what he wants. I didn’t ‘send’ him to you. He was going to tell you the day he got out, but I asked him to do it for me now, I asked for a favor,” Andrew answered, purposefully ignoring to mention that Andrew himself hadn’t known until recently. After Andrew asked him to keep a knife with  _ ‘NATHANIEL WESNINSKI’  _ engraved on the leather handle, Wymack will surely ask about his original plans of smuggling it out.

“What am I safe-keeping?” Wymack resolved, and Andrew sighed in relief, producing the knife from his undershirt. The warden took a look at it and then moved to a safe. He unlocked it and shoved all the binders on the floor. He gestured for Andrew to put the knife in the safe, and after the latter placed it gently, the warden locked the safe again. Neil’s shoulders relaxed after the safe beeped in confirmation of confinement.

“As my son’s friend, I’m okay with a favor. But as this juvie’s warden, would you like to explain why you have a fancy knife?” Wymack turned to Andrew and the latter shook his head.

“It never left my chamber, and it was well hidden, nobody would have even thought to look for it. It will not be used to harm,”

“Knives like that are generally not used for picnics in the park, Andrew.”

“You have my word,”

“Fine, how much would a speech about the ineffectiveness of violence affect you? Kevin said you have plans for Riko,”

“It won’t, old man. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an egg donor to leech off on and a twin to annoy,”

Wymack shook his head, “we’ll miss you, Doe,”

“It’s Minyard now,”

“For the egg donor or for the twin?”

“For the twin,”

“Good luck, Minyard. You have my number. Kevin is staying with me after he gets out,”

“Whatever he wants to do,”

Andrew nodded one last time and headed to the exits. Neil, who had been silent all the time in the warden’s office, switched back to the warmth and Andrew let out a deep sigh he didn’t know he had in him.

“You should have done that when my fingers almost fell off in February,”

“Not your space heater, Drew,”

They stayed quiet until they reached the office of discharge. Kevin and Renee stood waiting for him. Renee squeezed his shoulder and Kevin was granted a hug. The girl smiled gently and the boy sniffled.

“See you soon,” Kevin said and Andrew nodded, “one month,”

“It was great meeting you, Andrew,” Renee bid him farewell and the blonde nodded in response.

Neil went last, “thank you, you were amazing,”

Andrew looked at him, and for some reason, his stomach ached, and a weird feeling bloomed in his chest. ‘ _ Nerves, these are your nerves, nerves, nerves, nerves,’  _ Andrew convinced himself as an officer guided him through the discharge process.

Aaron, leaning on a rusty red car and clad in a white tennis skirt, black tights, and a black long-sleeved shirt screeched, “Andrew! Over here!” as soon as his twin sets foot out of juvie.

_ ‘Shit is about to get real, with a slight commercial break,’  _ Andrew mused as he walked up to Tilda Minyard scowling in the front seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! i wanted to post this and part 2 yesterday but my mom decided to me authoritative suddenly and turned off our internet router and made me go to bed :) it sucked but it's okay.  
> Which style do you like Aaron best in? Andrew is clearly is gonna go for goth but...thoughts??  
> Also huge shout out to PopcornisDelicious !! you're amazing thank you for all your comments.  
> constructive criticism and comments are greatly appreciated <3 <3  
> Also yes i know you're not really seeing Renee in this story, i'm sorry my dumbass completely forgot that she existed with Andrew at that time :p


	9. A Promise and A Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew makes a deal with Aaron and threatens Tilda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W: mention of drug and alcohol use

Andrew had seen a lot of bad houses, courtesy of the foster system, and the house of Tilda Minyard ranked on the top five worst homes he’d ever seen. The lawn on its own was dead and animal feces were ever-present. Andrew was careful not to show his disgust as they crossed to the front door, but Aaron’s apologetic glances told him what was behind the door was way worse. Tilda fucked off somewhere; he didn’t care enough to follow her movements as long as they were far from Aaron.

  
“It’s not much, but…” Aaron trailed off as Tilda unlocked the front door. Andrew nodded at his brother and another ten years in foster care would not have prepared him for the sight.

  
‘Horrendously dirty,’ was Andrew’s first thought, but he was distracted by Aaron dragging him by the sleeve. Andrew got a glimpse of the mess of takeout cartons, the pills, and empty beer cans scattered all over the living room table and the ugly mustard couch as they crossed it into what he assumed was Aaron’s room.

  
“Uncle Luther is coming by later this week to set up your new bed, I think,” Aaron looked at his feet, embarrassed.

  
“Your room is clean,” Andrew noted. The furniture was minimal; a bed, a desk, a closet. However, it didn’t smell like sweat and dust like the living room had smelled, and he didn’t step on any crumbs, either.

  
“I try. We can share my wardrobe for now, until your old foster mom sends over your clothes. Uncle Luther will offer to take you shopping, don’t accept, though. Unless you want a devoted Christian dressing you up,” Aaron replied.

  
Andrew had shared beds with others before, not every house he went to had enough space for everyone, but he would usually wait for the other person to fall asleep then slip to the ground. However, Aaron caught him trying to sneak out of bed.

  
“Are you okay?” he asked. Andrew let out a frustrated breath.

  
“Fine,”

  
“Do you want me to go to the couch?” Aaron asked again, and Andrew repeated the same gesture.

  
“No, I’m fine. Sleep,”

  
“Can’t.”

  
Andrew didn’t ask why because he knew; discovering Andrew was one thing, but living with him? It was awkward, sudden, too much of a change.

  
“I’ll make you a deal,” Andrew said after a beat, and Aaron sat up, copying Andrew’s half lying down position.

  
“Yeah?”

  
“I’ll protect you, from everything,” Andrew said.

  
“And what do you get in return?”

  
“You stick with me,”

  
Aaron looked like he was about to cry so Andrew looked at the wall instead of his brother’s face.

  
“Okay, yes, Andrew,” his voice broke a bit at the end, but neither of them commented further and Andrew the night staring at the wall, in the same position.

  
The next day, Aaron threw on green cargo pants and a blue shirt. Andrew watched him from where he was perched on the ground.

  
“You look like a straight Chad,” Andrew commented and Aaron laughed.

  
“Well maybe I am a straight Chad,” Aaron replied.

  
Andrew ignored him in favor of continuing the book he snagged from his brother’s book stack.

  
“Judging from the very explicit smut I’m currently reading, I’m guessing you’re not completely straight,” Andrew said after he reached the mating scene in some omega verse gay book.

  
Aaron sighed slowly, “I’m pansexual,”

  
Andrew wasn’t up-to-date with the queer terms but he shrugged, “I’m straight,”

  
Aaron frowned at him, “You don’t mind?”

  
“Why would I, if whoever you’re dating doesn’t ask before they come near you, then I’ll have a problem with them,”

  
Aaron threw a sock at him, “so Kevin isn’t your boyfriend?”

  
“No, he called you the better looking twin,”

  
Aaron blushed and nudged his brother’s foot with his own, “wanna go to the arcade? We can grab breakfast on the way,”

  
“And your style today is straight bro dude?”

  
“Which one did you like most? I don’t know which one to settle on,”

  
Andrew shrugged again and Aaron interpreted it the way he wanted.

  
“Do you want me to do your eyeliner?”

  
They went to an arcade after grabbing breakfast from a bakery. Aaron had changed back into the outfit he was wearing the day before, and Andrew was forced into skinny black jeans and a black shirt.

  
The arcade was if Andrew had the right to call it that, fun. Aaron sucked and Andrew was so inexperienced that a bunch of preteens beat them. He couldn't even find it in himself to be angry that he lost to some kids.

  
Later, they sat down on a bench to take a breath.

“She abuses you,” Andrew stated, and Aaron sighed in defeat.

  
“She doesn’t. She loves me,”

  
Andrew stayed silent and after a while, Aaron opened his mouth again, “it’s not as bad as you think,”

  
“It shouldn’t be a thing in the first place,”

  
Aaron shrugged and that ended that conversation.

  
After picking up some food and going back to Tilda’s house, Andrew waited till Aaron went to the shower to go find his egg donor.

  
As expected, she was drunk and/or high, the smell of her room made Andrew recoil, but he pushed through. Her greasy hair was matted to her face, and her face split into a grin when she saw Andrew.

  
“AAAAARON, babeyyyyy,” she drooled from her position sprawled on the bed.

  
“I sa-yed pills,” she slurred, and Andrew scoffed disdainfully.

  
“Let your incompetence come anywhere near Aaron again, and you won’t live,” he barked out, eyes sharp and stance rigid.

  
Tilda laughed as if that was a joke, and the son she gave up wouldn’t dare kill her, or maybe the intoxications she had in her system were too much. It wasn’t his fault she was barely ever clear-minded to function as a normal human being, and he made a vow to Aaron.

  
“And keep your drugs for yourself,” he spat and left her to destroy herself the way she pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I know this is short and i havent updated in a while. I'm sorry y'all i had a rough few days, but like this is a filler chapter. Hopefully, the next one will be better!  
> Andrew: i'm straight   
> Neil, Kevin, Aaron, the whole world: ??????  
> Thank you for reading <3  
> Telling me what you think about it makes me happy <3


	10. Everything Went Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twinyard bonding   
> Kevin gets out of juvie  
> Tilda dies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W: death

A month couldn’t have passed quicker, and Andrew’s emotions were conflicted. The twins had arguments on the daily; everything ranging from petty sibling rivalry to full-on dis wars. Andrew was frustrated that he couldn’t make his brother see reason, but also relieved that his brother was now comfortable enough around him to call him on his bullshit.

After their first particularly heated clash about Tilda’s parenting competence, Aaron stormed off to work while Andrew sulked as he did the chores. Later, Aaron would approach him with a pair of armbands.

“So that people can tell us apart, especially if you’re going to work with me at KMART,” Aaron didn’t make eye contact as he shoved it in Andrew’s direction.

The latter knew that wasn’t the true reason behind it, they had been discussing scars the night before, which happened often when both of them were unable to sleep, and Andrew had dropped that he hated people looking at his scars.

“People are stupid,” Andrew muttered and shoved the spaghetti he had prepared in Aaron’s way. His twin smiled gratefully and dug in.

That was how they apologized to each other; after they fought, sulked on their own, they would bring something to make it up to each other. But with Tilda’s unemployment, the minimum wage they were receiving, and Tilda’s habit of stealing Aaron’s savings, it would be often small and more symbolic than materialistic. Andrew didn’t really mind, if his brother liked a paper crane, a cool shaped rock, dino nuggets, or a 1$ charm bracelet, who was he to complain? He quite liked his own baby cacti, a badly drawn stickman which Aaron claimed was a modern art portrait, the small tub of double fudge ice cream, and his armbands.

The house was way less dirty as Andrew forbid alcohol (Aaron didn’t complain) and drugs (Aaron complained) in communal spaces. Also, Andrew had better-managed chores with his twin. The house was at least presentable. Two sources of money meant Aaron didn’t have to skip meals anymore, and with his twin cooking as best as he could, it meant he didn’t have to survive on instant ramen and McDonald’s meals.

Life was better for both the twins; Andrew had some kind of family and Aaron had some kind of a support system. They were both against the idea of being separated, so when Andrew dreadfully suggested rehab for Aaron, the latter had burst out crying. Blabbering and swearing he’ll stop taking drugs.

Andrew shushed him as best as he could, and when Aaron finally calmed down he looked Andrew in the eye and weakly muttered, “you promised,”

“Yeah, to protect you. Stopping you from overdosing is protecting you,” Andrew kept his voice smooth, indifferent.

“Then I’d be breaking my promise, I wouldn’t have your back if I’m away,”

That had shut Andrew up, which helped him come up with a new solution. He spent every free second of the next week researching addiction and how to battle it; then came to Aaron –who agreed– with his “rehab at home” plan.

On Aaron’s 16th day clean, exactly a month after Andrew first set foot in the house, Kevin day knocked on the door while Neil hovered beside him.

“Hi, Andrew,” Kevin mumbled to his feet, Neil had a hand on Kevin’s back.

“Uh, I’m Aaron. Andrew’s twin…you’re his friend, right? Come in?” Aaron replied. Kevin had a mini-seizure and instantly straightened his back and smiled charmingly. Neil snorted at his attempt to be likable.

“Who is it?” Andrew appeared behind his brother and his shoulders relaxed at the sight of his visitors. He knew Kevin would try to have some kind of physical connection with him, so he passed Aaron and squeezed Kevin’s shoulder.

“I see Wymack gave it back,” said Andrew, watching Neil make faces at him.

“I told you he would,” Kevin replied, offended that Andrew doubted his father’s honesty, but relaxed that Andrew made a move to comfort him.

“Are you going to have your reunion at the door?” Aaron interrupted. Andrew glanced back where he knew Tilda would be sprawled on the floor, groaning.

“We were about to grab lunch, care to join?” he decided and Aaron stepped out of the house, reading Andrew’s mind.

Kevin nodded and trailed after the twins as they walked to McDonald's. Finding a table was easy, the twins took a side, and Kevin and Neil took the other. Well, Neil stood on the bench, his lower half disappearing in the plastic bench.

Aaron and Kevin chatted as they waited for their order, Andrew stuck to watching Neil.

“Hi,” the ghost said and Andrew nodded in response.

“How was it?” Neil asked and Andrew shrugged, he can’t exactly reply to empty space.

“Kevin, Andrew and I are going on a smoke break,” Neil addressed the boy beside him, who threw a quick glance at the ghost in acknowledgment. Andrew tugged on his ear, Aaron waved him off. It was their way of signaling that they needed to get out of a place.

Leaning on the building, Andrew finally asked, “how did you know I smoke now?”

“Your pocket had a pack in it,”

“It could have been Aaron,”

“You’re wearing armbands now, they look cool,”

“Aaron is quitting drugs, nicotine helps sometimes,”

Neil hummed and they fell into silence until Andrew realized this was the best time for Neil to fool-proof his plan.

“I’m killing Tilda, removing her breaks and making her go on a highway,”

Neil put his hand on Andrew’s face; the latter admitted that he had missed the constant coolness.

“You’ll be in the car, pretending to be Aaron?”

Andrew nodded and Neil tsked, “and if you die in the crash?”

“Would it matter?”

“Yes, you promised Kevin. I’m assuming Kevin’s issue can wait, Tilda’s can’t,”

“She ignored my warning, she abuses him, and made him an addict,”

“Okay, don’t remove her breaks, grab the wheel and push it in her direction, she’ll take the blow from cars going the same way as you would be,”

“It might not be fatal,”

“Suffocate her then play the distraught son after; nobody would suspect you,”

“They’ll blame it on drugs,”

Neil nodded, “does Aaron know?”

“I promised to protect him,”

“He won’t be happy,”

“I don’t care,”

They went back and the ghost watched them finish their meals. Kevin slipped Andrew the knife from below the table, Andrew slipped it into the armband covering his right arm. They parted ways after Kevin and the twins exchanged numbers. Neil engulfed Kevin as if he was hugging him, and Kevin closed his eyes and sighed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Don’t be a bitch to Abby; she doesn’t know you don’t eat mushy food,” Neil said and Kevin nodded.

The next day, while Aaron slept and his twin asked Neil to keep an eye on him, Andrew removed his armbands and approached Tilda.

“Mom, can you drop me off at Uncle Luther’s. He called me, said he wants to tell me something urgent.”

The words burned in his mouth, but he kept his mask intact. Tilda, for once was not drugged up enough to be unable to walk, nodded, and grabbed her keys.

Tilda wouldn’t stop talking, and Andrew tried to answer her in the best Aaron impression he had in him, and when the opportunity presented itself, Andrew took it.

“You are an awful mother, and I will never forgive you. Not for giving me up, but for what you did to Aaron,” he spat out and before her shocked face can form words, Andrew grabbed the steering wheel and pushed. There was a scream, cars honked, the sound of metal crashing into a wall.

Everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!!!!  
> i dont have anything to say but if you do please dont hesitate to share <3<3  
> thank you for reading <3


	11. You Want Me to Think About Capitalism, Brother?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew is half a ghost.  
> Ft. a very wise Kevin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warning!!

Andrew blinked down at his very human legs but very un-human arms. He twisted back and saw his unmistakable features. He jerked, thinking it was Aaron, but his hips refused to move as if his body was held from the waist down. He looked back again, assessing the damage on what appeared to be his unconscious self.

His forehead was bandaged and a green-ish yellow bruise settled on his cheekbone. A chunk of his hair was shaved off, and he could partially see the stitches from where he was pinned. His left arm was in a cast. Otherwise, Andrew was sure he was fine.

Aaron burst through the door, face red and stained with tears. He was followed by a frantic looked security officer, worried Kevin and Neil.

“Sir! The doctors said no visitors, you can’t be here,” The officer seized Aaron’s arm, which angered Andrew, but before he could do anything Aaron shrugged out of his hold and bolted to Andrew’s side. Clutching his unconscious twin’s hand, Aaron hysterically repeated, “don’t go, don’t go, I just found you. Don’t go,”

Andrew’s ghost hand tingled where Aaron was clutching it. Neil was looking around, searching for something.

“Sir, I can see you’re a family mem-”

“He just lost his mother and might lose his brother, can you leave him alone?” Kevin snapped and Aaron shot him a grateful look before going back to mutter into Andrew’s hand.

The officer looked conflicted. Kevin could look intimidating if he wanted to and the uniformed person clearly was affected.

“Okay, but you wait outside until the visiting time,” he said and Kevin locked eyes with Aaron who shooed him away.

Neil got closer to the bed and reached out for Andrew’s body. He put his hand on Andrew’s forehead.

“You’re so stupid. So stupid,” Neil muttered, and upon closer inspection, Andrew could see he had that dull look in his eyes again.

Andrew wished Neil could see him and suddenly Neil snapped his head up.

“Andrew? You’re…not…are you?”

Ghost Andrew opened his mouth to reply but no sound came out. He just shook his head.

“I shouldn’t have encouraged you I should have gotten up with a smarter plan,” Neil said.

Well, that was not what happened, and now Andrew had gotten a taste of what no responsibility felt like.

What if Andrew wanted to be selfish? What if he liked how peaceful he felt? What if he wanted to stay this calm and unbothered forever?

Neil closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again he was almost sobbing. If ghosts could produce tears, he probably would have. His shoulders sagged, and his head dropped.

“You’re not completely a ghost yet, and if you become one you might disappear. I don’t know the rules, but I don’t think a person can tie you to earth. Will you command your soul to get back to your body?”

“What do I get in return?” Andrew finally rasped and Neil pressed a hand to his face.

Neil understood because of course, Neil would. He knew if Andrew chose to live, it wouldn’t be for himself. He knew that he wanted to be selfish, break his promise to Kevin, or pass it on to Neil. Neil knew what kind of comfort this state of being brought him. Andrew didn’t doubt that Neil knew which was why he asked what he would reap from a sacrifice for someone else.

The first time he let something in, it made his life ugly and dirty. It made him hate his skin, made him feel small and helpless.

The second time he did that, it left him with responsibilities he might not be able to fulfill. It left him empty, a void of nothing, which he found peaceful. But that might also be taken from him, and since both ghosts didn’t know what would happen if Andrew faded away, it might make his existence worse.

So, why would Andrew be selfless? His selflessness had never paid off, what would be different?

“Anything,” Neil promised, but what can a body-less soul provide? Nothing. Andrew wanted nothing.

Aaron sobbed with his face smashed into Andrew’s bare arm. A while later Kevin was let in and he moved to Aaron’s side, where he squeezed the latter’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to come back for me, or Aaron, or anyone. We want you to because we want you by our sides; as a friend and a brother, not as a personal hitman, “ Kevin said above Andrew’s body.

“The doctors said they did the best they could, and it’s all up to you. They said you can hear us. If you can, I’m saying this. If you want to leave, then you have to. You don’t have to stay unless you want to,” Kevin continued.

Aaron looked at him as if he was spewing non-sense (agreed, what the fuck was Day on?).

“Why are you saying that? Of course, he has to stay!” Aaron snapped and Kevin shook his head.

“He did it on purpose Aaron. Why would your mother get in a car, willingly with him if he wasn’t pretending he was you? He doesn’t hate your mother, nor does he feel the urge to hurt her because she hurt him. So that leaves the only other rational explanation: he did it to protect you. He was willing to die for you, you can’t be selfish and ask him to not,”

“What the fuck are you…” Aaron trailed off as the words sunk in, and when they did he stormed off, leaving Kevin and Neil with a half-ghost Andrew.

“Neil, I know you’re here, can you see Andrew?”

Kevin’s eyes landed on Neil’s figure and he nodded, “make sure he knows this. We’re waiting for him if he wants us to,”

Neil nodded, and looked back at Andrew, “Kevin is right, no one can ask anything of you. You’re not selfish if you want to let go,”

Andrew wished Neil couldn’t see him anymore and the latter took a step back. Andrew was hidden from everyone now; he just wanted to bask in this peacefulness without getting moral lectures from anyone.

Aaron returned when Andrew could no longer see the sun through the window. Kevin was sitting by the window and Aaron approached him after he squeezed Andrew’s hand. Neil stayed by Andrew’s side, warming his body even though the semi-ghost only felt tingling sensations instead of actual warmth.

“You’re right,” Aaron said, Kevin offered him a hug and he buried his head into the latter’s shirt. Kevin rubbed circles into his back as Aaron had another breakdown.

“I’ll leave you alone, talk to him,” Kevin said after a while and Aaron nodded, wiping his nose with the back of his hand like a toddler.  
Neil, who looked torn between letting the twins have a moment on their own or stay by Andrew’s side, didn’t have to decide because Kevin made a “follow me” motion with his hand after Aaron settled down beside his brother. Neil grumbled but didn't argue.

This time Aaron didn’t clutch his hand in a death grip and didn’t cry in a frenzied manner. He stayed quiet for some time, and then he sighed.

“I’m angry at you. You thought I wouldn’t care if you lived or not? H-how…” He let out a breath slowly again, gulped, and then continued, “could you?”

“I don’t want to lose you, not so soon. I’m not ready. You did this, and while I’ll be forever grateful and impressed by the fierceness of your protection, I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you. Not because you don’t want to stay…” his voice broke and he had to take a couple of calming breaths before continuing.

“…because you made me break my promise. I’m sticking with you, but I don’t want it to be over the grave. So if you wake up, I’ll take that as an agreement to a new deal,”

“You never ever put yourself in danger, for anyone, especially not for me. In return, I smack you only a lightly when…if you wake up.”

He fell silent again. After a while, he scooted his chair a little bit closer and let his head rest on his bent arm. “Thank you, you idiot,” he muttered before he fell asleep. Andrew never took his eyes off his brother.

The next day, Aaron was shook awake by a nurse and was ushered home to shower and rest properly by Kevin, who looked tired but clean. Neil was by his side the second Kevin had stepped into his room.

“I’ll be here,” Kevin said in assurance. Neil looked spent out, probably because he had to comfort Kevin.

“Hey, Drew. Kevin snores. That’s why I liked staying in your room back in juvie. Last night was a painful reminder that he’s annoying. You’re not annoying,” Neil said. Andrew stopped his brain from wishing Neil could see him.

“Wow, it’s really harsh being on the receiving end of the hiding. It’s weird. Kevin said I have to leave you alone, so now I’m hiding from him. I hate that he has a point. How is he the voice of reason between us? I thought you were smarter than that,”

That’s how that day passed, Neil chatting idly, Kevin and Aaron taking turns sitting beside Andrew’s bed, while the other stretched or talked to doctors or fetched food.

When night fell again, Andrew had the opportunity to think again. With Neil following Kevin and Aaron settling in the same position as the night before, the quiet was appreciated. But so was Neil’s voice guessing who of the nurses were hooking up, and Aaron’s threats that we're getting more ridiculous by the second, and Kevin’s gentle words of endearments.

All that and Andrew still couldn’t get himself to grip properly. He no longer wanted to let go, but the void had still not made him frustrated. The beeps on the machines were getting on his nerves, though.

On the third day, Wymack stopped by when he dropped Kevin off.

On the fourth, Renee got everyone donuts, it tempted Andrew to get up and eat one, but he couldn’t.

By the seventh, Aaron’s cousin, Nicky, and his boyfriend had landed and started the legal work to get custody of the twins.

On the tenth, Nicky’s comforting chatter was too much for Andrew so he groaned in agony.

Five pairs of eyes landed on him when he said, “can you all have your party elsewhere? Some of us are trying to sleep,”

Nicky let out a relieved sob, falling into the arms of a blond hulk, who was smiling softly. 

Aaron smacked his leg from where he was perched on the end of Andrew’s bed, “that’s what you get, asshole. Now get up, our shitty insurance cannot stand any more punches,”

Kevin laughed and Neil reached out and traced his eyebrow with his cool finger. The dullness was swept, and instead, a look of relief graced his features.

“Need I remind you that my head trauma can worsen from stress? You want me to think about capitalism, brother?” Andrew croaked out as a nurse rushed in to check his vitals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!!  
> you know when someone is in a coma after a surgery and they cant do anything except wait for the patient to wake up? well yeah  
> thank you for reading!!  
> comments are appreciated.  
> ALSO THANK YOU FOR 1K+ HITS!!! <3


	12. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins move in with Nicky and Erik

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No T.W!

Andrew was baffled that his cousin moved countries, transferred jobs, and took it upon himself to raise two strangers. The house in Colombia Nicky brought to be closer to his and his husband’s jobs was certainly an upgrade to the shithole of what Aaron used to call home. In a little over two weeks, the cousins and the husband moved into the new house.

Conveniently, it was Kevin who had informed Nicky that the house a block away from his dad’s was for sale, which meant Kevin was present in the house as much as the black comfy couch – Andrew picked it out, the mustard one was a sin. Contrary to his twin’s opinion, Aaron didn’t mind Kevin’s constant presence in their house, and in fact, Andrew had found them multiple times curled up way too close to each other.

Andrew threatened to decapitate enough, but he still cornered Kevin in one of the quiet corners of the house to threaten him some more.

“You will not take advantage of my brother, you will not force yourself onto him, and if he refuses to do something, you will _not_ talk him into it,” Andrew said, with a knife wedged between their glued bodies.

Kevin looked offended, “I would never. You have my word,”

“I’ll take your tongue if your word wasn’t what its worth,” Andrew patted Kevin’s shoulder with his free hand and removed himself from the other boy’s personal space.

“We’re not a couple, though. He shouldn’t be interested in me” Kevin said after a beat of contemplation, which made Andrew raise an eyebrow.

“He’s grieving, adjusting to this new life, and his senior year is in less than a week. I wouldn’t be good for him,” Kevin explained. Andrew shrugged in response; it was not his place to meddle.

Erik interrupted their little meeting with a shout, “BOYS! DINNER,”

They gathered around the table, Andrew clearing away Nicky’s paperwork, Aaron spreading plates, and Kevin moving the lasagna casserole. Andrew threw subtle glances at Erik as he carried a much focused Nicky and set him down on his designated chair. He removed his husband’s eyeglasses and kissed his nose.

“Food now, work later,” Erik reminded Nicky who chased after him for a real kiss. Aaron and Kevin found the culinary tools drawer very interesting. Andrew pretended he was not watching them.

“Odds of them forgetting you exist and making out on the table?” Neil whispered from beside Andrew and the latter rolled his eyes. The ghost had become insufferable since they moved here; especially that everyone in their broken dysfunctional family was visibly happier and more relaxed.

“Sorry, babe. Not everyone can have a pretty face for a job,” Nicky replied and gestured for everyone around him to join him. After everyone settled down and got served, Nicky and Erik launched into conversions, coaxing Aaron and Kevin to join them, Andrew dropped his opinion occasionally.

Aaron leeched on every single detail Nicky spewed about his designer job, asking questions like the curious child he was. Erik was convincing Kevin to become a model, while the latter politely declined and tried to change the subject. Neil tested Andrew’s self-control by rattling off bad puns and stupid dad jokes.

“So, boys, school on Monday, how are we feeling?” Nicky asked after a moment of silence. Aaron looked down at his plate, his leg jerked quickly, so Andrew clamped a hand on his thigh, stopping him. Kevin gave him a reassuring smile from across the table. Neil, who apparently loved comforting people, moved to Andrew’s other side to be closer to him and warmed him up.

“You’ll be fine, Aaron. If bad comes to worst, pretend you’re Andrew. Everyone will be terrified of him,” Nicky sensed his cousin’s uneasiness and Andrew took the second part as a compliment.

“We can’t pay you back. It would take us around 13 hours of work for us to make enough money to pay for one of us, which means we have to take turns going to school and work-” Aaron blurted out and Nicky gasped.

“Aaron Michael Minyard, you think I want you to pay for your tuition?” Nicky asked, voice cracking. Erik rubbed a hand on his shoulder.

“I...I don’t know. This district has expensive schools. We can use our inheritance money, but that means no university for either of us, so this way we both get-”

“Aaron, honey, we’re paying for everything. You don’t have to pay us back,” Erik said and the twins looked at the couple then at each other. Kevin bit back his laugh at the cartoonish twin telepathy.

They had been discussing this and agreed that Aaron would attend STEM classes while Andrew attended social sciences classes. It worked best for both of them considering their interests and future majors. They had also not expected Nicky to pay for anything; he already moved countries for them.

“You don’t have to, we can do it on our own,” Andrew said firmly, Neil’s breezes caressing his hair in support from his spot between the twins.

“We want to, you’re not on your own anymore,” Nicky teared up, which made everyone in the room uncomfortable, or at least Andrew.

The idea of anyone willingly providing for Andrew was so foreign that it didn’t settle right in his chest. Aaron let out a mousy thank you, and then the meal was continued with no more words.

After dinner, Andrew was kicked out of Kevin and Aaron’s video game time. They claimed Andrew was only there to distract them – which was fair, Andrew only hung out around them to make Kevin angry and Aaron annoyed – so he opted to retreat to his room and pretend to ignore Neil.

Andrew had been conflicted when Nicky and Erik told him to choose any bed he liked, any comforter he liked, _anything_ he liked. The choices overwhelmed him which led to a panic attack. Had Neil not been there to calm him down, he would have broken down in the middle of IKEA.

Lying down on his bed with Neil by his side was serene; Neil had to ruin it.

“Threatening Kevin was pointless; he’s already scared Aaron would cut off his balls if he does the wrong move,”

Andrew shrugged.

“What do you want?” Neil asked after a while, referring to his promise last time they interacted on their own.

“I want you to be real,” Andrew replied.

“I am,” Neil laughed, Andrew’s gut clenched.

“No, you’re not,”

“I could be, you were a ghost, but you came back,”

“I wasn’t dead and buried,” Andrew looked at Neil who was looking at him with amusement mixed with something Andrew couldn’t name.

“Your brain stopped functioning and your heart only worked because of machines, you were as good as dead,”

“Don’t throw out hope; it’s a cruel emotion,”

“You hope I can be real?” Neil teased, a hint of affection tinging his tone.

“Yeah, so that I can kill you myself this time,”

Neil laughed again and Andrew basked in the moment of the calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!  
> i had this chapter ready since friday but my laptop was being a little bitch and wouldnt connect to the internet. i'm hoping to update another one by night (for me) <3  
> Also today marks the one month anniversary of this :0000 cant believe i had this idea a month ago :0  
> comments are appreciated <3  
> Thank you for reading <3


	13. Can I Use Your Knife?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake and Cass visit Andrew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING:  
> This chapter is from Neil's point of view because I did not want to describe/tell anything about Drake's final encounter with Andrew. At some point (There's a warning) I described the scene after with shallow details. Nothing worse than the books.  
> mention of blood and a knife (stabbing)  
> plus i described Andrew after Drake. please be careful when you're reading, if anything in the slitest triggers you, dont read it.

Neil could not see Andrew’s expression from where he floated behind him, but almost a year of knowing him gave the ghost a close idea. Andrew was up for murder because Cass and Drake Spear were not supposed to enter his space and dare to be so happy and friendly in the living room.

Nicky laughed nervously and Erik served coffee. No one had noticed him come up, Andrew, who had just came back from the library, hightailed to Kevin’s house.

A frantic knock on the door and a confused Abby later, Andrew stormed into Kevin’s room where he and Aaron had been watching a movie.

“Do not come home until I call you back,” Andrew ordered, pointing a finger in Aaron’s face.

“Why, what’s wrong?” Aaron asked and Kevin held out a hand for Andrew to hold, which he rejected.

“Nothing. Kevin, keep him here. Lock him in if you have to,” 

With that, Andrew left the Wymack’s house as abruptly as he had arrived. Neil feared what came next.

“I can stop him from touching anyone,” Neil said as he followed Andrew through the block.

“No, I’ll deal with this. Can I use your knife?”

“Andrew,”

“Neil,”

“I’m serious,”

“I am, too. Stay out of it, I don’t need you. Can I or Can I not?”

“If it means losing you, then no; I won’t stay out of it. Of course, you can use my knife, but be careful,” Neil pleaded and Andrew paused to look the ghost in the eye and nod.

Neil could see the fear thrumming underneath the calm mask Andrew had put on. He reached out to give him a jolt of focused energy right before he stomped his way loudly to the living room, to announce his presence.

“Andrew! You’re back! Cass called and said they’d make it a surprise-” Nicky started but Andrew dismissed him with a motion of his hand. His eyes were zeroed on Drake’s filthy smirk, his amusement was laced with dirty intentions; Neil hated it.

“Andy, baby. I missed you so much, Drake did, too. We thought we’d visit you, get to know who you’re staying with,” Cass said, Andrew didn’t look at her but he did reply.

“You said he was dead,” Andrew’s voice sounded almost bored, to the untrained listener. And perhaps Drake heard the hurt and betrayed undertone because he laughed. 

Neil moved to suffocate Drake, give him a killing fever, or whatever was needed to be dead, and not taunting Andrew with his expressions. Andrew held out a hand, sensing Neil’s intentions and clearly demanding him to stop. 

Neil knew he could not fight Andrew’s battles for him. The way Drake said, “too bad I couldn’t meet your brother, either” made Neil rage with anger. Andrew had asked him not to interfere more than once, he had to watch as Drake invited himself to Andrew’s room, as Andrew led a scumbag to the only space that hadn’t yet been tinged with bad memories, he had to watch as Cass pretended it was a normal thing for her adult son to check out a teenager’s room, and he hated every second of it.

The couple picked up a conservation with Cass as the two left for Andrew’s bedroom. Neil would not just watch the ball drop, he left back to Kevin’s house.

The perks of being a ghost were that he can bypass awkward greetings with Abby, Kevin’s stepmom. The downside of being a ghost was that he had to wait for people to get over their freak out if he wanted to talk to them.

Which was why Neil stayed silent as Aaron flinched into Kevin’s chest and the latter held his shoulders.

“K-Kevin, are you seeing _that_?”

“Yes, this is Neil,”

“You...What even is it?”

“He’s a ghost. Neil?”

Aaron stared at him, eyes glassy; his curious nature getting the best of him. Neil had no time for questions, he went straight to the point.

“You have to help Andrew,” he said and Aaron sprang up.

“How do you know Andrew?” he demanded as if the ghost was the real threat to his twin.

“Calm down, Aaron. Neil is Andrew’s friend. Neil, what’s wrong? Why did Andrew want Aaron to stay here?” Kevin soothed the tension between the other two.

“No time to explain. Aaron, you have to help Andrew,” Neil said, and apparently, that was enough for Aaron who ran after Neil as he exited the house. Kevin followed, confused but worried.

Aaron let himself in and Neil could see the recognition happening on Aaron’s side as his shoulders tensed before he even saw Cass. He didn’t even announce himself home and rushed to Andrew’s locked door. Kevin squeezed his shoulder once and Aaron let out a long breath.

He kicked down the door with his boot, force out of sheer fear and worry for his brother. 

_ **!!!!!!!!!!! TRIGGER WARNING !!!!!!!!!!** _

In a split second, Aaron registered the clothes strewn on the ground, some belonging to Andrew ripped, and Drake’s bareback and loose jeans while Kevin froze in his place while Neil looked for what he knew would come in handy.

“Aaron, knife.” Neil pointed at the discarded armbands by the door and Aaron grabbed the uncovered knife and lunged at Drake, who had realized he was interrupted and was turning around. 

_**!!!!!! END OF TRIGGER WARNING. you can continue if you’re comfortable !!!!!!** _

Aaron’s force of action and the small time frame made the stab deadly, splatting blood on him and the carpet. Kevin yelped in surprise but Aaron’s glare oiled his gears back to action. He sprang away to get Nicky.

“Andrew, are you okay?” Aaron asked grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around his twin. 

Andrew seemed detached from reality, eyes unfocused, tears rolling silently down his cheeks. He touched the blood on Aaron’s cheek and frowned but before the latter can reassure him that it was not his blood, Nicky and Erik had arrived at the scene.

“Oh my God. Aaron? Andrew? Are you guys ok-” Erik started but was droned out with Cass’s screech at the sight of her son’s dead body.

Nicky grabbed her arm and hauled her away, “get the fuck out of my house,”

“My son is dead,” was heard from the hallway but no reply was heard back as Erik tried to move Andrew. Andrew flinched at the attempt to pick him up so Kevin stopped Erik.

Aaron, who had his arms around his brother, whispered into his ear and Andrew nodded robotically.

Aaron stood up and his twin slowly followed, they made their way out of the room. Neil didn’t follow.

The police came Nicky and Erik answered questions but refused to make the twins undergo questioning. Cass was taken into custody, but nothing could be done to her. They left as soon as Drake’s body was bagged and the fluids in the room were sampled for court. 

After that hurricane of threats from Cass about charges and the swarming government officials, the couple and Kevin found the twins locked up in the bathroom. 

Kevin tentatively knocked, “Hey Andrew, Aaron. I’m leaving, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow?”

No answer was replied, but the boy didn’t wait for one. He nodded at the couple and left. 

Nicky and Erik tried to coax the twins out of the bathroom, offering to drive them to go to a hotel, or anywhere they wanted, asking them what they needed. 

The only answer they got was Aaron’s, “go away!”

After a sobbing Nicky and an angry Erik had left the twins alone, Neil was left by himself. 

“Neil? If you’re here you can come in,” Aaron said after a while and the ghost took the invitation. 

He found them squished next to each other between the sink and the door, on the ground. Andrew’s hair was drying and Aaron’s clothes were wet. 

No one said a word as Neil crisscrossed his legs and settled facing the twins until Andrew muttered, “she lied,” and fell asleep leaning on Aaron’s shoulder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! this chapter was a tough one. I hope you all were careful and listened to my warnings.  
> Thank you for reading, see you soon.


	14. I'm Already Dead, Do Better.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therapy sessions with Bee!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No T.W!  
> PREFACE: i am not a therapist, i dont have a degree in any form of psychology. i'm legit talking out of my ass here, but it all makes sense so <3  
> ALSO ALSO ALSO!!!!  
> i realized that when i first posted this, it got cut off like in the middle, so i'm re-upploading. for anyone who read it, sorry it was cut off! i didnt notice!!

If the twins weren’t fond of the idea of being separated before, now it just scared both of them. 

They were always together; Andrew tucked slightly behind Aaron as they moved anywhere and always took the right side if they’re sitting anywhere. Aaron still respected Andrew’s wishes of not being subjected to casual touch, which comforted Andrew to no end.

Aaron was very quick-tongued and it ran before his mind filtered the words. That served as a shield for Andrew, stopping any invading questions about his permanent silence or rigid stance. Andrew would always finish anyone daring to come anywhere near hurting his twin, but now that Aaron wouldn’t even let him shower with him being situated right outside the door, the aggression and protectiveness increased exponentially. 

Unfortunately, it had also been extended to include his cousin, his cousin’s husband, and Kevin.

Had Nicky and Erik not been very gentle and caring about the incident, he would have still had his doubts about their sincerity. 

They offered to move houses, they got Aaron the best lawyer in the state, and they didn’t question it when Aaron asked if they could skip school indefinitely. 

Erik supervised as Andrew burnt, chopped, threw, ripped, and crushed every single part of his bed, making sure he wasn’t hurting himself. Aaron cheered him on, screeching a louder curse with every part Andrew destroyed. Afterward, they went to IKEA and Erik bought Andrew a new bed, then he installed it in Aaron’s room. Sleeping in a bed haunted Andrew, even if his twin was a foot away, so he didn’t, but the thought mattered.

Nicky hopped on a therapist hunt and personally interviewed anyone he chose before he introduced them to the twins. Even though that introduction consisted of Aaron talking about pointless things and Andrew not saying a word, and therapists always rejecting them, Nicky wasn’t fazed.

“When you go through fucked up shit, you go to someone who can help you deal with it,” he had reasoned when suggesting therapy to the twins and Andrew mentally agreed. 

He did not want to stay in his head. He did not want his skin to itch this much. He did not want his twin to be his guard dog forever. 

Ironically, Andrew had lost the meaning of 'want' a long time ago, so he let Aaron decide for both of them.

Aaron had said yes, on the condition that they do it together. Unless Andrew explicitly asked for Aaron to be out of the room or vice versa, they would attend together. Nicky agreed. 

Kevin tried to be supportive as much as he could, and Andrew thought his attempts at being a good friend were pathetic. He would not call Kevin offering to listen to the twin’s troubles effective, but Andrew didn’t gut him when he was giving this sentimental speech about being there for them. Besides, Aaron was more relaxed in his presence.

Neil, on the other hand, had disappeared. Ever since that night in the bathroom, he would not show himself to anyone, including Kevin. The only way Andrew knew he was there was because of the sudden body temperature change he experienced. The fact that he couldn’t listen to Neil’s distracting chatter and be in his creepy presence should have been a relief, instead, his gut clenched constantly and his mind nagged at him. Andrew hadn’t asked Neil to show himself because he assumed the ghost would know; just like he knew how to interfere, or how to make Andrew’s panic a little less suffocating when it attacked.

“What would you like to talk about today?” Betsy, their latest therapist, said. Aaron launched a speech about Golden Retrievers and Andrew stayed quiet. 

Betsy replied in enthusiastic professionalism, and then she offered them hot cocoa. Aaron accepted for both of them and he helped her fix the drinks. After setting down the cups, she looked at Andrew, “would you like to add anything, Andrew?”

Andrew shrugged and his brother distracted her with Guinea Pigs, which she took and ran with till their time ended. 

“It was good meeting you boys. Would you mind calling your guardians into my office for a sec on your way out?” She smiled and Aaron tugged on Andrew’s shirt.

When Nicky and Erik emerged from her office around ten minutes later, they were both visibly ecstatic that Andrew knew she did not refuse to work with them.

“She said she’ll be happy to work with you! And she doesn’t mind that you want sessions to be joint! How amazing is that?” Nicky grinned.

“We talked about animals, for an hour. You will be paying her so that we discuss stupid stuff,” Aaron rolled his eyes.

Erik wrapped a hand around Nicky’s waist and grinned as well, “so what? If that’s what you want to talk about, who are we to stop you?”

Andrew finally felt the warmth flood his body and realized that Neil hadn’t snuck into their session and was waiting for them outside. The ghost was stupid, Andrew should tell him so. The warmth had become more frequent, but it never felt too suffocating, which also was stupid. 

On the next session, Andrew felt one last squeeze of warm energy on his cheek before he entered her office.

That time, Betsy had their mugs already ready, and she had added whipped cream and sprinkles to Andrew’s mug. Andrew eyed her suspiciously before taking a sip, and he felt disappointed by how much his taste buds sang for the taste. She smiled when she saw Andrew frown at his mug and before Aaron could open a pointless subject, she cleared her throat.

“I like your way of expressing yourselves. Aaron, the skirt looks very cute on you. Andrew, I like your necklaces. What do you think about when you’re picking out an outfit?”

Aaron retold his journey of discovering his style, and how he felt most comfortable in pastels and soft clothes, Andrew stared at the clock. 

When he was done, Betsy smiled and asked him, “how do you deal with the negative feedback about your choices?”

“I usually tell them to fuck off, if they decide to come close, Andrew would beat their ass,” Aaron replied, which caught Betsy’s attention.

“Andrew, do you think Aaron’s abilities to protect himself would be ineffective in a physical fight?” she smiled softly, and Andrew, who shrugged in response.

“He knows I can kick their asses, just won’t let me,” Aaron replied on his behalf.

Betsy regarded them in for a moment, his face never changing from polite amusement. 

“You watch his front, he watches your back,” Betsy concluded and the twins were impressed by her deduction skills. 

“Being there for each other is very important for the strength of your relationship. Your care for each other is ample and anyone can see that,” Betsy said.

“I mean…yeah, we thought we were alone. But now, we’re not, so we make things work,” Aaron shrugged and Betsy nodded.

“Of course, you’ve both been through sudden and drastic changes. Aaron, do you enjoy metal music?”

“I…no? Not really, I like loud music but I wouldn’t say rock. Maybe aggressive pop,” Aaron replied. 

“Well, I have a playlist, would you like to listen to it and write down your thoughts on each song?” Betsy said, producing an iPod and earbuds. Aaron was confused but accepted the device and hit play. 

As Aaron frowned, smiled, and wrote down whatever went through his head, Betsy turned to his twin. 

“Would you like to draw?” 

Andrew frowned at her but accepted the pen and paper from her hands.

Looking down at the empty sheet, Andrew thought of what he could draw, which was dumb. They weren’t fucking preschoolers.

He still produced a bad sketch of the knife tucked into his armband, even putting the engraving of Neil’s old name. 

After a while, she stopped both twins from their activities and made the switch. Andrew didn’t like the playlist at all, and his thoughts were, ‘loud, stupid, dumb, cringe-y, what the fuck is this, negative hundred out of ten, the artist doesn’t have a bone of talent in his body,’

Again, she stopped them, just as the clock said their time was up. She smiled at them and asked if she could keep their work, Andrew considered saying no, just for spite.

The twins handed her their papers – Aaron’s reviews were very long and detailed, and his drawing was that of a duck – and she thanked them.

That was how they spent their therapy sessions; the first ten minutes would be her commenting on the earlier week’s work, then she would ask the twins purposeful questions that would lead to a non-verbal activity for the rest of the time. Andrew never spoke, even if some questions were directed at him and Betsy never paused for more than thirty seconds to wait for his answer.

Andrew found himself enjoying heavily criticizing any material Betsy gave him, and Aaron seemed to do better following her instructions and words. Two whole months had passed before Andrew decided to talk to her.

“Can I have the first thirty minutes on my own?” Andrew asked, the night before. Aaron gasped softly, surprised that Andrew had uttered words.

“Of course, I’ll wait outside,” he said and Andrew nodded from his position on the ground. 

Betsy placed his mug of diabetes, and Andrew thanked her.

“I’m glad you took this step, and I’m happy to assist. Would you like to tell me anything?”

After a beat of silence and contemplation, Andrew opened his mouth, “I have a friend,”

Betsy’s expression didn’t change from positive encouragement and he basked in it for a moment before continuing.

“But, he’s…not talking to me anymore,”

Betsy hummed, and Andrew swallowed down the lump in his throat.

“He’s there, I know he is. He just…won’t talk…” Andrew trailed off, and Betsy nodded.

“Do you think it’s because of something you did?”

“I haven’t reached out, but he knows that I don’t have to,”

“I’m assuming this friend knows what you’ve recently been through; do you think it has anything to do with that?”

Andrew shrugged; he wanted to close off again, call Aaron back in, let the attention to be on his twin. 

“I’m straight,” Andrew tried again, and Betsy tilted her head.

“Is the fact that you’re surrounded by queer people bothering you?”

“Not in the way you think it does. Just…this friend isn’t there, and it makes me hate him so much that his absence bothers me,”

“Ah,” Betsy said, Andrew could see she’s gearing up to give him one of the therapist speeches she uses on Aaron. 

“Do you masturbate, Andrew? It’s perfectly okay and healthy if you do,” she asked instead, which made him blush.

“No,”

She blinked at him, waiting patiently for him to elaborate.

He sighed, “I wait for it to go away, or take a shower if it’s really bad,”

“You do not like fulfilling your sexual needs?”

Andrew shrugged and she interpreted it the way she wanted.

“Is it because you don’t practically enjoy or care about it?”

“I’m not asexual if that’s what you’re asking,” Living with Nicky and Aaron and not knowing everything about the LGBTQIA+ community is practically impossible, Andrew tried. 

“Well, everyone’s libidos are different. You could care little about sex and not be asexual,”

“Okay,”

“Are you familiar with boundaries? It’s the control someone has over what their partner does or doesn’t do within a relationship. Some people set very firm boundaries, others don’t. That’s normal. I’m not talking about sexual relationships only, though. I have noticed that Aaron rarely touches your skin, and physical affection is not a form of your relationship, but he likes to get that from Kevin or your cousin. You’ve set a boundary and he respects that,”

“He can’t even touch me,” Andrew referenced Neil and Betsy caught on his point.

“Sure, but your boundaries aren’t limited to touch. Besides, a relationship is should not be only built on physical contact.”

“I’m straight, and he annoys me,” Andrew said firmly, Betsy didn’t even flinch.

“Okay, Andrew. Before I let Aaron in, I want you to know that I appreciate your trust with this information. Please let me know about how future arrangements should take place,” she said and shot him a smile. 

Later that night, when he let his thoughts wander; all he could see was a male naked figure. No matter how many times he tried to picture a girl instead, the image would just dip out of his mind in seconds. He checked to see if his brother was asleep, grabbed his phone, locked himself in the bathroom, and opened a private window.

Looking at naked porn actresses didn’t amuse him at all, but the way his heart raced with excitement when he got a glimpse of the male actor, made him uneasy. After a bit of contemplation, he went to the gay category.

The first couple of videos made him uneasy as they were these pedophilic/incest ones, which he found very gross. He stumbled across one with a tied-up boy in the thumbnail, clicking on it was a huge mistake.

His uneasiness became interest; the way the bottom was unable to move unless the top let him, the sounds, the words, all traveled to dick. He was achingly hard and the need to touch himself drove him crazy.

So he did it because the bottle of lotion was just  _ there _ . He let his dick out and tried to copy the way the top was touching the bottom’s dick, and soon enough he could barely contain the pleasure from spreading all over his body, overtaking his senses. His shoulders tensed as he came just when the bottom let out an obscenely dirty moan. 

Andrew cleaned everything up and his cheeks colored in embarrassment. 

In their next session, after Andrew had informed Betsy that he was ready for full one-on-one sessions, he told her what he did with a quiet voice.

“That’s good, Andrew. However, the porn industry is not a very reliable source. It does not give a realistic version of what sex is really about. Not everyone has the perfect body type, makeup touch-ups frequently in between, and trained actors and actresses following a script. And most importantly, it does not show safe ways to pleasure ourselves,”

“There are two main things you should think about when considering sex; consent and safety. First and foremost, for sex to be enjoyable for both parties, both of them should be willing to do it. The difference between rape and sex is consent, and it makes or breaks the experience. Even though our bodies theoretically must react in the same way, since there are very similar actions in both scenarios, but our brains are very smart. We can never enjoy something we’re forced to do, even if we usually would have enjoyed it had it been on our own free will.”

“If you like the idea of a guy giving you pleasure or you giving it to him; that does not invalidate nor does it equate your trauma from what others did to you. You would be gay –if that’s what you are – even without the unpleasant experiences, and you being attracted to guys even after those experiences is perfectly fine.”

“Consent comes in many forms, some need it to be verbal, and some need it to be physical, but it  _ has  _ to be present, for anything to be enjoyable. Also, consent is not a permanent and unchanging thing, and being a in relationship does not equate consent. When your partner agrees to do something, then decides at any point of your action that they don’t want to continue anymore, their initial yes does not entitle you to continue. And when a partner uses an excuse like ‘but we’re in a relationship’ or ‘you’re my boyfriend’ then that’s a red flag.”

Betsy took a breath after her long but carefully detailed rant and Andrew chewed on it for a long while. Betsy waited for him until he nodded in understanding before continuing.

“Safety comes next. Condoms don’t only stop pregnancy; they prevent sexually transmitted infections, in both straight and queer relationships. Researching proper lubricants, proper techniques, and proper use of toys is very very important. You do not want to hurt your partner or yourself,”

Andrew blinked trying to sort through all the information Betsy said, finding himself needing to hear all these words come out of someone he didn’t despise as much as the average human in his life. 

She smiled, waiting for Andrew to spit out his questions. 

“Wouldn’t it be annoying if I have to ask every five minutes if my partner is okay?”

“Some people don’t mind it and find it to be a sign of care and love. If your partner did find it annoying, there a lot of systems you can use to make sure they’re fine. Some couples use safe words, and even though they are usually involved in the BDSM community, which is a whole other discussion, there are no rules that could stop you from introducing it into your life, and not only your sexual part. If conservation is getting too much, use your safe word, if an argument is getting too much, use your safe word, if sex is becoming too much, use your safe word.”

Andrew asked after a beat, “What’s a safe word?”

And Betsy laughed, “oh, I’m sorry. It’s a word of your choice that puts anything to a stop. Like if you’re arguing with someone and you say… _ crayon… _ your partner will know that you are unfit to continue arguing and that they need to stop. The same goes for you, if your partner safewords, you stop immediately.”

“What if…they don’t stop, or they don’t want to use that method?”

“If they don’t stop after you’ve clearly said you’re uncomfortable with continuing, they’re violating you, and you should drop them immediately. If they don’t want to use that method, then that’s a red flag. If they’re not willing to accommodate to your boundaries, that’s also a red flag,”

Andrew nodded and Betsy gave him a paper to draw anything he wanted, which he spent the rest of the time doing. 

Later, while Aaron slept, he whispered into the dark, “I know you’re here,”

He got no answer, but he was certain the soft breeze was not from the open window on the other side of the room. So he tried again, “I should have probably threatened to suffocate you a little bit less than I do on an average day,”

He hoped, really did, that Neil would just come, talk to him about stupid or deep shit, or just hum the French song. Just when he was going to let go of that teeny tiny piece of hope, Neil appeared, facing Andrew with an outstretched hand.

Andrew looked at him, his chest ached weirdly, and the relief that flooded him was overpowering that he had to look away. 

“Hi,” Neil whispered.

“I hate you so much, Neil Josten,”

Neil laughed, “you had a support system, I couldn’t add to it,”

“Good thing you know you’re a waste of space,”

“I don’t even take up space,”

Andrew rolled his eyes, “I want nothing,”

“And since I occupy no space, I count as nothing, right? Andrew Minyard, are you admitting your undying love for me?”

“I will bring you back just to suffocate you,”

Neil laughed again, that damned sound made his blood boil.

“You downgraded to suffocation? You  _ like  _ me,”

Andrew stayed quiet, surveying Neil and trying to fit it in with everything Betsy had told him earlier.

“I hate you, I want to kill you 90% of the time,” Andrew said without any heat and Neil grinned.

“I’m already dead, do better,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Again, i apologize it was cut off.  
> I really hope you're enjoying my work  
> Also  
> my family and i use safewords, especially in public, it really helps


	15. More Debate and Heated Arguments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron's trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W mention of rape, nothing graphic  
> This is from Aaron's pov

Aaron fiddled with the sleeves of his suit as his lawyer barked at the judge right next to him. He could feel Andrew’s piercing gaze and Kevin’s gentle one on the back of his head, which comforted him to some level. Nicky and Erik were seated directly behind him and they whispered words of encouragement often. Surprisingly, Neil comforted him the most, even if Aaron was still wary of the ghost, he could not deny that his presence calmed him down.

When Neil showed up a couple of weeks before his trial, Aaron had another freak-out, because he was sure he hallucinated the ghost on that day. However, the way Andrew’s gaze lingered slightly on Neil, and the way everyone was relaxed around him, made Aaron swallow it down better.

“Your honor, we are arguing whether my client defending his brother is right or wrong! How ridiculous is that?” Aaron’s lawyer, Janie Reynolds, said.

The prosecutor fumed in anger, “your client  _ murdered _ . That  _ is  _ wrong,”

“Let me refresh your memory as to what happened; Mr. Minyard, my client, opened his twin brother’s room to find a grown man sexually assaulting his brother. He saw a knife on the floor and reacted out of fear for his brother’s safety,” Reynolds growled.

“The knife was not found in evidence, and your client denies being called into the room. We can all see that it was premeditated,” The slimy old man sitting on the prosecutor’s table said. To which his lawyer screeched, “objection! Hearsay!”

The judge, who had a very white beard and very chubby cheeks, looked between the two lawyers and banged his gravel, “sustained,”

The prosecutor shook his head and laughed, “I would like to call a witness to the stand, Aaron Minyard,”

“Your honor, my client was not informed he had to take the stand today,”

The judge flicked off Janie and she glared, before turning to Aaron, “do you need some time before you go up there? We can take a recess,”

Aaron shook his head and the court staff led him to the stand, swore him in, and fixed his microphone.

“Mr. Minyard, you said you were at a friend’s house, correct?”

“Yes,”

“And you suddenly just thought of running back to your house?”

“Objection, leading question,” Janie said, to what the judge decided, “overruled, answer the question, Mr. Minyard,”

“I…had a feeling that something was wrong,”

The prosecutor laughed, “Twin telepathy? Or did your brother text you that Drake Spear was at your house,”

“Objection! Compound question!” Janie growled and the judge rolled his eyes, “sustained. Mr. Rowell, stick to court regulations,”

“Did your brother inform you that Drake spear was at your house?”

“No,”

“Then how did you get that ‘gut feeling’?”

Aaron let out a breath, “Andrew came over to Kevin’s house and told me to stay there, I knew something was wrong because he wanted me to stay away,”

“Can anyone confirm that, Mr. Minyard?”

“Yes, Kevin Day was in the room when Andrew told me to stay put, Andrew even told Kevin to lock me in the room,”

The prosecutor paced leisurely in front of the stand, Aaron wanted to reach out and strangle him, had it not been for Neil’s hand near his shoulder.

“Does that mean your brother knew Drake Spear was at the house?”

Aaron blinked, “yes?”

The judge gave him a pointed look, “do you or do you not know, Mr. Minyard?”

“He knew Drake was at the house,”

“Let me get this straight, your guardians were having tea with Drake’s mother in the same capacity as Andrew and Drake, and they didn’t sense any foul play. You were two blocks over, felt it, and went over. To catch your brother and his lover in bed, correct?”

When that sentence left his mouth, the whole courtroom was silent for a split second before Andrew got up and charged at the prosecutor at full speed. Kevin and the court staff tried to stop him, even Neil left Aaron’s side, but it took Janie whispering in his ear to get him to get back to his seat, glaring at everyone.

“So is this scenario possible? Andrew Minyard was grieving for his mother who he lost in an accident that nearly killed him, felt the need to be comforted by someone he admired, so he called his foster brother and guilt-tripped Drake Spear to sleep with him. He was making sure you don’t come and interrupt them,”

This time, Andrew didn’t move but his twin could tell he was plotting for this lawyer’s murder.

Janie objected under the calls of speculations, the judge sustained her call, and the prosecutor stepped back with no more questions.

Janie stepped up, “Mr. Minyard, where you aware of Drake’s identity when you found him?”

“No,”

“Did Andrew ever tell you that he was regularly raped and assaulted by several people, Drake included?”

Aaron looked at his brother but managed to keep his tears at bay, “No,”

“Did Andrew ever tell you that he refused to meet you the first time you reached out to him because Drake threatened of touching you, too?”

His eyes were blurry and the words choked up in his mouth, so he just shook his head in response.

“No more questions, your honor.”

The judge banged his gravel and announced a fifteen-minute recess.

Aaron’s group cooped up, Erik and Nicky squishing him between their embrace, Kevin was smiling softly and squeezing his hand, Andrew and Neil were standing away from the group. He untangled himself from between the limbs and went over to his brother, “What did Janie say?”

“She’s calling Cass to the stand,”

“If I’m found guilty-”

“You will  _ not  _ be,” Andrew interrupted him and Aaron nodded.

Back in the court, Janie called Cass Spear to the stand.

“Mrs. Spear, are all your foster children exceptionally quiet at night when Drake used to be home, but exceptionally loud when he was not?”

Cass frowned, “yes, they all love him-loved…” she choked but Janie Reynolds didn’t stop.

“Did it ever occur to you that Drake was assaulting these children?”

“Andrew…once said…but I know my Drake would never,”

“These are health reports for all of the six children you are currently fostering,” she distributed case files to each the judge, Cass, and the prosecutor, “can you read the highlighted section, Mrs. Spear?”

Cass’s eyes were wild, her voice trembled as she read, “Traces of sperm…were found in Ricky Damond’s anus, ripped hymen of Gracie Doe…” she looked up, tears streaming down her face, “he did  _ not, _ ”

“But he did, and you knew. Andrew was brave enough to tell you, you didn’t believe him. Did you notice his self-inflicted scars?”

“I thought…no! I thought…” she blabbered but Janie held up a hand.

“Did you call Nicky Hemmick-Close’s cellphone on Wednesday, July 15th, and ask if you could visit?”

“I.. missed Andrew!”

“Did you call Drake’s cellphone after you received an invitation?”

“I just…he…we… I love Andrew,”

“No you don’t,” Janie snarled and sat back in her chair.

Later, after more debate and heated arguments, the judge announced, “not guilty!” and Aaron locked eyes with his brother, who had glassy eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey :)) i might be taking a break till next week, but idk yet.  
> Tell me what you think?  
> update: i'm taking a break for personal reasons <3 see you in a few <3


	16. EXTRA: RANDOM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> random excerpts  
> \+ Kevaaron at the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No T.W  
> hi, i'm gpimg thru so much shit rn so im sorry that this is messy

Riko Moriyama was a bitch, but his Japanese genes had him weirdly obsessed with tea. Hence, Kevin Day and Aaron Minyard squished together below a window in Kevin’s room to mince up the drying petals of the oleander flowers he had left out to dry.

“He used to mock Americans for microwaving their mugs of water,” Kevin, who was insanely aware of how close Aaron’s body was to his, said.  
“He isn’t wrong. Invest in a kettle,” Aaron hummed, seemingly unaware that the other boy was intensely staring at him.

“What if he throws it out, though? Or calls his dad to thank him for the gift?” Aaron asked after a beat of silence, mince the sound of petals getting crushed.

“His father practically disowned him, Riko doesn’t know his number. A good old fashioned letter will do the trick,” Kevin frowned, “I think,”

Aaron nodded and continued to work, which gave Kevin an opportunity to appreciate his side profile.

Aaron Minyard was a beautiful creation; spirit and body. Granted his initial easy smile and nervous eyes were what made Kevin do a double-take, but now that Kevin spent hours with him, he could confirm that. They, unsurprisingly, found a perfect balance of common ground and opposite opinions to be enough for hour-long conversations. They were both also academically talented, so competition to see who was better was definitely there, now that the twins have started school with Kevin, a semester late.

“Tsk. I’m winning, Day. Are you sure you want to lose because my face is too pretty for you to look away?”

Kevin blushed and looked the opposite side, before clearing his throat and continuing to work on his petals.

“What pretty face, Shrek?”'

He received a punch at that, “don’t disrespect Shrek,”  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Aaron knew he was being creepy. He was never attracted to hands, but Kevin’s were just lying there on the wooden table in the Minyard-Hemmick-Klose kitchen.

For some reason, the long fingers and clean nails had Aaron drooling. The veins weren’t even that prominent, but Aaron’s gaze traced every single one until the skin disappeared under the red hoodie.

“…what do you think, Aaron?” Erik asked from his place facing the boys, which made Aaron realize they were conversing.

“Uuuh, huh?” Aaron let out, Kevin laughed but quickly sobered up when he raised a fist to punch Kevin.

“We were talking about Marie Antoinette, would you have made a better king if you were in her place? Kevin said he wouldn’t have, if he was raised the same way she was,” Erik repeated.

“Males were not raised the same way females were, and even if they weren’t, Marie’s life had many complications. She was very very generous; she would adopt poor children on the streets, but she could not link poor children back to poverty. Not only was she cooped up in Versailles, but she was also painted to be a splendorous spender, and she tried so hard to change that image of her.

“Also her husband was very incompetent and unfit to be a king; he liked building things, not rule a country. She would tell him about social flaws, he would promise to fix them, and then his advisors would sway him away from them. And the whole reason she was heavily punished was because of rumors she took no part in.

“A prostitute pretended to be her and scammed some rich political man – I can’t really remember his title or name – but basically she made him buy the most expensive necklace ever created. When people heard about it, they were enraged. Even though the queen herself was offered the necklace and refused to buy it because she was trying to fix her reputation. So in conclusion, Marie was a good queen based on her upbringing, social gender segregation, male dominance, and her solutions to general problems she faced. Would I have been better? No, probably not, I wouldn’t be as educated and I prefer science over politics.”

Aaron finished his rant and Kevin grinned at him, satisfied at being a good teacher. Fuck Kevin and his weird obsessions with podcasts, and his handsome face, and his sexy brain.

Aaron frowned at Erik who had his mouth hung open then at Kevin who was trying to hide his smirk with a mug.

Andrew saved Aaron when he entered the kitchen with Neil trailing behind him and told him it’s time for their session with Bee.  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“The sexual tension in this house is unbearable,” Neil whispered to Andrew, who in turn rolled his eyes.

“You’d think Kevin quarantining with you guys would push him to get with Aaron already,”

“And Nicky and Erik seriously need to bone, their pent up frustration is making everyone angry,”

Andrew glared at the ghost, “are you done?”

“No, you need to masturbate; your frustration is also obvious,”

“I swear I’m bringing you back just to suffocate you,” Andrew, horrified, replied.

“See, this is how I know you don’t really mean it, your threats are weak, where is my stabby Andrew?”

“Shut up,”

“Anyway, do you want me to leave? Y’know, so that you take care of your frustration,”

If Andrew attacked Neil and fell on his face in the process while the ghost laughed at him, no one needed to know.  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
“Am I not good enough for you?” Aaron asked and Kevin’s finger tracing his cheekbone stopped their motion.

“What are you talking about?” Kevin frowned.

“I’m straddling your legs, practically in your lap, your hands are in my hair and on my face, and you still haven’t kissed me. So is this a fling? Should I get up?”

“Aaron, what the fuck? We’re friends; friends don’t kiss each other,”  
“Friends hang out in our position?” Aaron said, leaning slightly forward so that their faces were closer.

“I…Aaron…” Kevin trailed off so Aaron got up, but before he could get far, Kevin grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. Aaron landed perfectly on Kevin’s lap and their lips slotted together.

Kevin was a good kisser, he knew when to go soft and make Aaron feel like he was a precious thing Kevin was handling, and when to go rough and drive Aaron to go as hard.

“You’re the one out of my league, shithead,” Kevin panted, and Aaron slapped his biceps.

“Kiss me again,” Aaron rolled his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i hope i get shaken out of this slump bc i really want to write the death of RIKO the bitch


	17. The Twins Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> unofficial date night for Andrew and Neil  
> official date night for Aaron and Kevin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No T.W!

“What do you miss most about being human?” Andrew asked into the dark. It was one of those nights when therapy did its job extremely well, and Andrew’s sharp thoughts dulled down to soft prickles against his brain and chest. On those particular nights, he would retreat to the small balcony attached to his new room and Neil would follow him. They would talk, or they wouldn’t, it didn’t matter, because their existence around each other was not defined by a set of rules and social constructs, and Andrew loved that too much.

Neil hummed thoughtfully. He had his legs folded and dangled from the balcony’s floor, copying Andrew. Unlike Andrew though, his ass wasn’t freezing from the cold tiles.

“Playing Exy, probably,” he replied, and Andrew rolled his eyes.

“Of course you miss Exy,” Andrew mocked half-heartedly.

“Well, no matter what my father did to me, or had me sit through, or had his creepy assistant do to me, they could never ruin that part for me. The court was mine, always was, they couldn’t understand why I would play even with bandages wrapped around my torso. They couldn’t understand how I didn’t mind the bandages while I played,” Neil elaborated and Andrew’s mouth dried.

He obviously knew that Neil didn’t have the best childhood as the son of a fucking mafia leader, but his genuine love for a sport baffled even Andrew.

“You know why I consider Kevin a brother to me? Because we grew up playing together,”

Andrew frowned at him, “Kevin didn’t recognize you when you showed yourself to him,”

“I don’t look the same as I used to,” Neil’s expression could be described as amused, only if he was human.

Andrew gazed at him, “how?”

“The last time I saw Kevin, I was around thirteen, them my father thought it would be great to give me a few face scars, and well…my birth name isn’t actually Neil,”

Andrew nodded and didn’t press for more, but Neil felt particularly generous.

“It’s Nathaniel, but I never really liked it, people who name their children after themselves are stupid,”

Andrew opened his palm in the space between them and Neil let his hand hover over it.

“So Kevin chose the Wesninski manor because it reminded him of you?”

“I don’t know, Drew. Probably more that his bio father is there, but I guess it took a lot of strings to pull so that he ended up there. Especially if Riko’s allies thought Kevin tried to burn down the Nest. I haven’t told him yet,”

Andrew hummed and tried to focus on the heat his hand was receiving.

He had no truth to pay back Neil, but he was starting to believe that their relationship did not require a tab anymore.

“You don’t like that Aaron is dating Kevin,” Neil noted, and Andrew snorted. It was an invitation, and Andrew could have turned it down.

“I don’t like that Kevin gives Aaron what I can’t”

“And would that be?”

Andrew rolled his eyes, “I already go to Bee,”

Neil huffed out a laugh. They stayed quiet after that, enjoying the peacefulness of the night.

*************************************************************************************

Aaron bit down on the dead skin around his nail, and then fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He’d smelled Kevin’s farts for fuck’s sake, he shouldn’t be this nervous about their first date. He checked his reflection one last time and appreciated the way his cream pants complimented his light maroon knit, then ruffled his hair to get the right amount of floof. At exactly seven, a knock on their door made his heart leap out of his chest.

Nicky grinned and marched dutifully to the door, and opened it to find a very sweaty Kevin by the door. His cheeks were flushed and his hair stood up in various directions. Kevin had a baggy black sweatshirt that had a copy of the “Caffe Terrace at Night” on its front, paired with light jeans. It was too adorable for Aaron to witness.

“Hello, young man,” Nicky greeted, mocking a very 1800ish accent.

“Uh, good evening, sir,” Kevin replied, confused.

“Sir?” Aaron laughed and the other two men shushed him.

“You will have him back by ten,”

“No,” Aaron glared at Nicky but Kevin waved him off, “yes, sir,”

Nicky patted his back and before he could open his mouth Kevin beat him to it, “if you’re going to threaten me, Andrew already promised to have my dick as his wall decoration if I hurt a hair on Aaron’s head,”

Nicky looked horrified for a split second then laughed, having found that threat very characteristic of Andrew.

“Okay, enough,” Aaron said as he shouldered his way in between his cousin and his date.

Kevin stepped back and produced a bouquet of very exquisite looking flowers from behind his back. It was very large in radius and had multiple layers of pink petals, surrounding a yellow bud. Aaron blushed and produced his own bouquet of violets. They stared at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing.

“Thank you,” they muttered after they sobered up and then they had another fit of laughter at the coincidence.

“If it makes you feel better, Neil also threatened to possess me if I hurt you, but I wouldn’t,” Aaron reached up and cupped Kevin’s face with his free hand, the other boy nuzzled his face into his hold.

“Where do you want to go?” Kevin grinned and Aaron had to pause for a second to get over that small gesture.

“I’m kind of thirsty, boba?” Aaron suggested and Kevin nodded.  
They had to knock on the door to keep the flowers at Aaron’s place because they wouldn’t want to drag them around. But after another short conversation with Nicky, they got an Uber and headed downtown. They spent the ride arguing about Allie from ‘The Society’; Aaron believed none of them would’ve survived without her, and Kevin wanted to punch her from time to time, they agreed to disagree.

After they got their boba (they argued who would pay, Kevin won by snatching Aaron’s wallet and keeping it out of his reach, which Aaron thought was a dirty move) they walked around and found a cute street vendor that promised a bag of candies if they guessed the right number of candies in the bag. They spent over an hour trying to guess, and in the end, the vendor was so amused that he gave them the bag even though neither of them guessed correctly.

“I said 504 which is way closer than you guessed,” Aaron teased as he popped another candy in his mouth. It was sour candy which Aaron loved too much.

“I said 1617, which if you divide the mass of the bag by the mass of one piece you’ll get approximately 600, so my guess had the right numbers in it,” Kevin stuffed the bag in his fluffy tote bag to stop Aaron from inhaling them all.

“It doesn’t matter, mine was closer- OOH! Kevin, look there’s an Irish cuisine restaurant right there!” Aaron pointed and Kevin grinned at him, “race ya there,”

Kevin won again, which wasn’t fair because he had a head start and longer legs, but Aaron didn’t whine about it because the smell of the food was too good, he was practically salivating.

Aaron trusted Kevin to order for both of them as he knew better about Irish food. They ended up having vegan Shepherd’s Pie, classic Irish stew, and Corned Beef Hash. Kevin told him about the one time he visited his mother’s hometown and Aaron was so moved by the nostalgia he sensed from his date.

They walked around after dinner and then got ice cream before heading back home. Of course, they had stupid debates and even stupider competitions.

Kevin had Aaron at his house five minutes to ten, which frankly was impressive.

“I really enjoyed today, Aaron,”

“I really enjoyed today, too, Kevin,”

They grinned at each other for a moment before Aaron stood on his tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Kevin’s cheek, which was colored soft pink.  
Erik found them leaning on the door when he opened the door and the two idiots fell on top of each other, specifically Kevin’s 6-foot ass crushed Aaron.

“Nicky! Right at ten!” Erik laughed at them and reported his findings to his husband, who appeared out of nowhere.

“You’re staying over, Kevin?” Nicky asked and helped Kevin up, who looked at Aaron.

“Of course you are, stupid,”

Andrew snorted at the whole fiasco and Neil smiled with two thumbs up, “how was it?”

“Amazing,” Aaron said just when Kevin said, “Awesome,”

They laughed at each other and Nicky gushed at them.

“Gross,” Andrew turned around and the rest followed him into the living room.

“If I put on Ocean’s 12, and anyone tries as much as breathe loudly, I’ll gladly extract his digestive track,” Andrew said and plopped down on the couch. The family half-took the threat seriously and fussed as quietly as possible to find an appropriate seating arrangement; Nicky deemed it “too soon” for Aaron to sit in Kevin’s lap even though they’ve done it countless times before they started dating. They were banished to the floor because Andrew stretched on the whole couch, with Neil hovered vertically behind him, their weird version of cuddling, while Nicky and Erik took the love seat.

It was a quiet night in the Hemmick-Klose-Minyard household and the twins wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise surprise i'm still alive!  
> lmao sorry this took so long, hopefully i'll get back to a regular updating schedule like i used to have.  
> Thank you Andrew for the support on this one! i couldnt have done it without you <3  
> If anyone is wondering which flowers Kevin got Aaron they are chrysanthemum and they are the November birth flowers. Aaron got Kevin violets which are the february birth flowers  
> hehe  
> see you next time!  
> Thank you for reading <3  
> EDIT: UHMMMMMMMMM 2k HITS???????? Y'ALL THANK YOU WTF


	18. Fuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Kevin may or may not have brought Riko's attention to them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W! Curse words, mention of blood (brief)

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Aaron asked. He was practicing Japanese Kanji on a blank sheet of paper while Kevin surveyed and corrected any obvious mistakes. However, from Kevin’s minimal knowledge of Japanese, Aaron seriously doubted they were going to fool Riko with a handwritten letter.

“Yes, he never gets letters from his dad, he would be too ecstatic to care about the handwriting,” Kevin replied.

“I have a bad feeling about this, Kev,” Aaron sighed as he carefully drew the last syllable.

“Riko will not notice, he probably will have a servant read the letter to him. And even if he did read it himself, he wouldn’t recognize your handwriting as he would mine,” Kevin reassured, but something did not sit right with Aaron either way.

He shrugged and grabbed a new blank sheet and successfully copied the letter without smudging anything. It was his 6th try at a clean copy of the letter Kevin had written.

Kevin rested his chin on Aaron’s shoulder, which led the latter to keep a hand on his face, and then both hands, and eventually they had to take a break and make out for a while. The blonde had to push Kevin off of him so that they could finish their plan.

“Teabags?” Aaron asked, he carefully folded the paper and tucked it into the envelope as Kevin fetched the mixed herbs they had modified to include a poisonous flower.

They both stared at the poorly improvised gift they would leave at Riko’s doorstep for a whole minute before Kevin snapped out the trance first with a, “let’s do this,”

They grabbed an Uber and had the driver drop them off ten blocks away from Riko’s house. Aaron clutched Kevin’s hand tightly, trying to prevent the latter from spiraling into a panic attack. The drop off was successful; no one noticed them leave anything in the quiet neighborhood, and Kevin made sure they were in the blind spots of the security cameras.

The realization of what they just had done didn’t really hit until they were halfway back at Aaron’s house, and he could tell from how heavy Kevin’s breathing was getting.

“Hey, stay with me, you’re safe,” Aaron turned his body towards his boyfriend and framed his face. Rubbing his thumb on Kevin’s jawline didn’t work like it usually did because Kevin’s eyes were still unfocused and distant.

“Kevin Day, you’re safe,” Aaron repeated, he could feel the driver’s eyes on them and he had to head-butt Kevin out of his panic.

“Sorry,” Kevin whispered as he realized how suspicious he was acting, but Aaron squeezed his hand in response.

The other shoe fell hours later when Andrew and Neil came back from wherever they go to on the weekends and found the boys cuddling on Aaron’s bed.

“Why is there a letter addressed to Riko Moriyama?” Neil asked, he was floating above Aaron’s desk, who instantly shot up as he heard what the ghost said.

“What?” Aaron’s eyes widened and he looked at Kevin, who in turn was turning significant shades lighter.

“What did you two idiots do?” Andrew asked, grabbing the paper and ripping it open, to find the cleanest and latest version of the decoy.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Aaron eloquently elaborated as he searched through the mess of papers, trying to figure out which scratch one he tucked into the envelope, by mistake. Neil moved to Kevin’s side when the ghost realized he was frozen in place and talked to him in a hushed tone Aaron didn’t care to try to decipher.

Andrew stared at his twin, “what did you do?”

“Fuck, Andrew. Kevin thought the pink flower thing was a good plan, and it’s been months and you haven’t done anything to Riko yet so we thought we could get it over with,” Aaron tugged on his hair as he realized which paper was missing.

“You’re fucking stupid, you know that? What’s wrong?” Andrew was not shouting, but the anger rolling off him had Aaron flinching.

“I…I put the wrong letter by mistake,” Aaron cringed and three pairs of eyes landed on him.

“Which one?” Kevin whispered. Aaron was about to bite on his nail but Andrew slapped his hand away and glared at him, repeating Kevin’s question.

“The one with my and Kevin’s names on it,” Aaron couldn’t look at any of them.

“I leave you two for a day and you hand your names to a fucking lunatic psycho affiliated with the fucking yakuza,” Andrew’s anger was something Aaron never wanted to experience ever again. A heavyweight made itself home in Aaron’s chest and his teeth found the dead skin around his nails.

“It was my idea, Aaron didn’t want to do it, I begged him,” Kevin winced and Andrew was on him in seconds. Aaron screeched and thankfully Neil was close enough to stop his angry midget from hurting Kevin.

Surprisingly, Kevin hadn’t even moved, either trusting Neil to protect him or believing he deserved Andrew’s punishment.

“Hurting Kevin will not protect Aaron from what is coming,” Neil said calmly, and Andrew breathed heavily in his direction. They were inches apart, and Aaron realized how in tune Neil is with Andrew’s reactions.  
“His dumbfuck ideas literally are bringing the Japanese mafia down our necks, he could afford to lose a finger or an eye,” Andrew growled and moved to attack Kevin, who was silently watching them, again.

Neil offered a palm and Andrew considered it for a long time before he sighed and brought his own over it.

“I’ll barricade the house and guard outside,” Andrew said, making up his mind and pulling away, but Neil moved closer, “he’ll probably send a couple of hitmen, and when they don’t come back, another two, and then another. What are you going to do about the bloody corpses? And the neighbors?”

Andrew seemed frustrated at Neil’s tactics of bringing some sense into him, “how much time do we have?”

“I say a couple more hours, a background check on Kevin, Aaron, and their whole families would probably be done by now. We have to leave somewhere safe. I have a plan but it needs a few hours of planning,” Neil replied.

“Nicky and Erik won’t come back for another hour,” Aaron reminded the group. The couple were at a conference in the next town over, it was three days long and they were supposed to be home by that night.

“Call them to make them wait there, but tell them to book a motel room in another place. Preferably somewhere without a ledger and would take bribes. Kevin call Wymack and have him and Abby go to the juvie center, no matter how powerful Riko is he can’t come near them that fast, he’d need time to bribe or kill his way through. And Andrew, can you collect enough clothes and canned food for all of you?” Neil instructed and everyone sprang into action.

Convincing Nicky and Erik to stay put was a feat by itself, the couple argued with Aaron for over twenty minutes, especially after he said they were in danger. Wymack and Abby on the other hand were easier to talk to as they were familiar with Kevin’s ties to the mafia. By the time Neil and Andrew were done making the house seem un-abandoned as possible, their countdown had gone from two hours to fifty minutes.

Neil walked Andrew through hot wiring a car and the humans bickered for five minutes about who should drive the car (Andrew and Kevin wanted Andrew to drive, Aaron thought his twin would not pass as a license holder) before Neil snapped at them and assigned Kevin as the driver.

“Fuck,” Aaron said one last time before the view of their house faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI omg.  
> It took me this long to get this done because i didnt have ideas for this chapter and it frustrated me so much akdjhdakh and i ddint want to go with my og plan because it was frankly boring so kfdhskdhf  
> have this instead  
> thanks for reading!   
> Comments and kudos make my serotonin go brrr <3


	19. Are You Familiar with the Yakuza?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan starts.  
> Lots of fights happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.W! slight mention of self harm (nothing detailed, or graphic)

Fifteen minutes into the drive, Andrew let out a sharp breath, “Bee,”

“Andrew, it’s not the time-” Aaron tried to reason but Andrew was not listening. Neil looked at him thoughtfully, “it is likely they go after her, but not this soon. She might have a safe night. As soon as they realize you all didn’t happen to leave the house at the same time, they will go after anyone they think might have an idea about where you would be,”

Andrew clenched and unclenched his fingers, in the haze of the shock of his twin’s stupidity and Neil’s sharp orders; he had forgotten she could be also targeted. Neil did say they would run a background check on anyone Aaron or Kevin were tied to, his therapist included. The thought that she might get hurt because of him had him clawing at his thighs. Neil sent a wave of harsh air that did a poor job at slowing Andrew’s thoughts down.

If only he had been less deceived by the idea of a normal life, this wouldn’t have been happening. Andrew Joseph Minyard will never get normal; he will get the Japanese mafia and a fucking supernatural being. Had he not actively tried to push Riko’s ending till he…was better, Kevin wouldn’t have thought he had broken his promise or forgotten about it.

“I don’t break my promises,” he snapped angrily, feeling petty enough to start this fight at that instant.

“I can’t give you what I promised I would,” Kevin replied, equally grim.

“I don’t care that you wouldn’t, I would have, if you only just waited-” he was raising his voice now, and Aaron grabbed his sleeve.

“It’s my fault, I put the wrong-”

“The stupid fucking plan would have failed anyway-”

“I talked you into it, it’s not your fault-”

“I’m sorry Andrew, I said I’ll stay by your side-”

“You dumbfucks just had to do something-”

Words were thrown around like a rag doll; no one paid them enough attention to realize what the others were saying and no one tried to solicit their aggressiveness.

“Enough!” Neil raised a hand, and suddenly everyone shivered simultaneously.

“You’re fighting like children and unless you have an idea of how we’re going to get you out of this mess, I don’t want to hear another word,” he commanded. Andrew glared at the ghost, who was by some fucking way, floating with them as the car moved under the full moon.

The rest of the ride was silent. Aaron kept Andrew’s sleeve clutched in his hand and the latter did snatch it back. Kevin kept looking at the rearview mirror to check on the guys in the backseat, but Neil never turned once from his place in the passenger’s seat.

Andrew couldn’t analyze Neil’s behavior for long, because soon enough they had to abandon the car and continue into the town on foot. Three teenagers walking at midnight were not as questionable as a strange car crawling into a small town.

“Hey,” Neil slowed down to match Andrew’s pace, leaving Kevin and Aaron to walk in front of them.

“We’ll try our hardest to sweep this mess,” he said after an acknowledging nod from Andrew.

Not ‘everything will be okay’ and not ‘you should have done something sooner’.

Andrew might have believed in this ghost a little too much because what he was saying didn’t make sense. If Neil was actually a fever dream or a figment of Andrew’s imagination, why isn’t he saying any of Andrew’s lying or self-deprecating thoughts?

Andrew ignored him but Neil was not having it, apparently. He reached out a hand and mimicked tapping Andrew’s jaw.

“Unclench. How much time do you think it would take Nicky and Erik to get over the fact that I’m a ghost? We can’t waste too much time,”

“You said you had a plan,”

“I’ll sneak everyone underground, this town has closed mining tunnels, they wouldn’t think of looking there. I’ll wait for the assassin to come back at your home, hope I make it back before he gets too restless of waiting,”

“I thought you didn’t want to deal with a bloody corpse,”

“No, I’ll possess whoever comes,”

Andrew stopped in his tracks to look at Neil, who raised an eyebrow.

“No,”

“Yes, Andrew. I’ll go back to Riko’s den and kill him and then leave the assassin’s body,”

“And if he sends more than one? If you can’t leave the body after you get into it? If  _ his  _ soul becomes a ghost? No, Neil,”

“He won’t send more than one. He might have the money, but his family name is known. Not many people would kill for an estranged Moriyama,”

“Still doesn’t answer a lot of my questions,”

“We’ll know when we know,”

“Then I am staying with you,”

“Andrew-”

“Too many things could go wrong,”

“Exactly! That’s why you have to stay with your family, if I failed, then you would have to either actually kill or go to the FBI-”

“Shut up, Neil,”

“Listen to yourself, it is safer if there is no human an assassin could actually kill. And they can’t stay underground forever. If I don’t come back to retrieve you in 24 hours, then I would-”

“Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up,” Andrew didn’t usually raise his voice, but he had to drown out Neil’s stupid fucking reasons.

“Drew, meeting you and spending time with you and your family was the best thing that ever happened to me. Including the time I spent as a human. You gave me good memories, or whatever is equivalent to me, I owe you as much. You have to live, you have to.”

Andrew’s fists were closed so tight and his jaw might pop from how hard he was grinding it. He did not cry, he did  _ not  _ cry.

“It’s not fair,” Andrew whispered, stopping in his tracks.

“Life is like that, one sucker punch after the other. At least to people like us,” Neil also stilled in his place.

Neil reached out and for a split second, Andrew felt the faintest of weight on his cheek, as if Neil was actually caressing his face. Andrew did not cry; his breathing was labored from the walk, his eyes were stinging from the cold.

“Try it on me first,” he whispered into the darkness. Kevin and Aaron might have sensed he stopped walking because they were watching him.

“If it works, I would have taken more than you can offer. If it doesn’t, your stubborn ass will drive up to Riko’s den by yourself. So no,”

“Try it on me, Neil.” He repeated, a lot more confident. He was well aware of the possible outcomes, but he wanted Neil to come back, and dammit Andrew Joseph Minyard deserved to want, even once in a while.

“Is everything alright? Kevin asked

Andrew and Neil ignored the couple approaching them, Andrew eyes trained on the ghost that looked like he wanted to argue more.

“I might have the ability to read your mind,”

“Try it on me,”

“I might not be able to get out,”

“Try. It. On. ME.”

“Dammit, Andrew, stop throwing yourself away,”

“And you’re the only one allowed to?”

“I’m  _ dead _ , Andrew. Dead! Why would it matter if I’m gone or not?”

“It would matter,” Andrew punctuated his angry statement with a, “to me, it would,”

He did not wait for Neil to reply and instead stormed off. Kevin and Aaron had witnessed that, but they kept their opinions to themselves, so did the neighborhood they had stopped in, no one was reporting them to the police, not yet, at least.

When they get to the motel Nicky had texted Aaron the name of and informed the front desk that no one is allowed into room 214 with a loaded bag of cash, Andrew had still been fuming.

“Andrew, what’s going on?” Nicky asked as soon as they slammed and locked the door behind them.

“You still want to tell them?” Andrew asked Neil, who shook his head. Kevin frowned and Aaron raised an eyebrow; Andrew realized Neil had hidden himself.

“Find a map and take them to the intersection of 11th and 12th as soon as possible. There are old train tracks there, follow them to the mine and stay there,” Neil instructed and Andrew had never felt the urge to punch air harder than he had at that moment.

“I hate you so much, and if you don’t come back, I’ll…I’ll…” Andrew couldn’t find a threat that would convey the level of anger he felt at that moment, he resolved it by pointing a finger and glare at Neil.

“Thank you, you were amazing,” Neil said with a smile, then faded away. Andrew closed his eyes briefly then faced his confused cousin and his husband.

“Are you familiar with the yakuza?” he started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh- is that an update??? in the same 48 hours??? wow *pats self*   
> jkjkjk  
> i really hope youre enjoying, thanks for reading!!  
> comments and kudos make me happy <3


	20. You Didn't Have Feet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil comes back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No T.W!

It took Andrew ten hours to let the panic set in. He did not easily submit to his tedious thoughts, but Nicky’s silent sobs and Aaron’s sulking with their respective doting significant others got to him at some point.

_ Fuck Neil Josten, fuck Neil Abram Josten. Fuck that figment of his imagination that deceived him to the point of oblivion. How could he so stupid, how could he believe that a fucking  _ ghost _ would be able to save him and his family?  _

He unshielded the knife, which was hidden in his sleeve, and for a brief second, panic bubbled in the pit of his stomach. The ghost would  _ fade away _ if he’s too far from the only thing that tied him to life. The said knife gleamed in the faint light shining through the small cracks of the crumbling rock walls as if it was mocking him.

‘ _ Where is he? Where is he, Andrew Doe? Where is he? He is GONE! Faded! He faded into the night. Faded, gone, poof, where is he? Where?’ _

Andrew growled and grabbed the nearest heavy-looking rock. The first collision of rock and metal was so satisfying to Andrew’s ears that it only took him another second before his hand came down on the blade. The fancy leather handle frayed at the impact, but the thick metal did not waver.

It taunted him;  _ ‘where is he? Where? Faded, oh faded. Gone with the wind, gone, gone, gone. Bye-bye, Neil, bye-bye Nathaniel, and bye-bye Neil.’ _

Andrew gnarled in frustration again and made his hit more frequent, the sound ringing and echoing, helping the defeat bottled in him for too long lessen, if by a fraction. He was aware that he had four pairs of eyes on him. He was aware that he was a subject of increasingly alarming questions. He was aware that his twin brother was trying to approach him, but his violently swinging arm kept him away enough to not get hurt.

When he could no longer withstand the constant mantra playing in his head, he hurled the subject of evil against a faraway wall, and it ricocheted. Andrew watched, blank-faced and red-eyed, as the knife clattered against two walls, once, then twice, and finally, it slipped between the slippery, moldy, rocks. The silence was deafening for a split second before it gave a last thunderous  _ CLANG. _

Andrew’s chest was rising and falling too fast, and the realization of what he did never registered.

“Andrew,” Aaron tentatively stepped forward, and his twin shot him a glare.

“Neil is okay,” Kevin added as if Kevin Day would know if a ghost, almost 20 miles far from where they were stewing in frustration and fear, was still present or not.

“Andrew,” his name was pronounced with such tenderness as if Andrew was a beast, ready to pounce on anyone that poked with a remark higher than 20 decibels.

“What, Nicky? What do you want? For me to calm down? I’m calm, see?” He laughed, a sarcastic and empty laugh, but one nonetheless.

“Uhh, guys?” a new sound registered and Andrew’s neck almost snapped at the voice. Andrew stared at Neil Josten's awkward smile, feeling the earlier rage fizz in his chest again.

Neil Abram Josten was not floating he was sweaty and flushed, and very much not a ghost.

Andrew stalked over to where Neil stood and raised a hand, ready for impact, ready to send the not-so-ghost anymore back to the realm of the dead before he had a chance of explaining  _ how he’s here  _ and  _ how he’s wearing that hideously patterned shirt. _

Everyone around him gasped and Neil was enveloped in Kevin’s arms within seconds, forming a barricade between Andrew’s raised fist and Neil’s devastatingly gorgeous face.

“Oh my god, how are you real? Like how the actual… _ what? _ ” Aaron asked, touching Neil’s hideous shirt as if to make sure he isn’t hallucinating.

Erik and Nicky were confused about Neil’s identity enough to try and separate the boys from the stranger.

“Hi, guys,” Neil laughed, and if the sounds he made as a ghost were something Andrew never wanted to lose, the voices he made as a human was so fascinating that he wasn’t sure his near-perfect memory could keep up.

“Neil, how are you human? Is the hitman dead? Did you steal his body? Is Riko dead?” Kevin shot, wide-eyed and curious as always.

“I’m back,” he locked eyes with Andrew and smiled. The blonde did not like to admit that that smile affected him. He shifted his weight and regarded Neil with hooded eyes, but Neil did not waver, he smiled experimentally and didn't turn to anyone else till Nicky poked him.

“Riko? You’re the person we were waiting for?” Nicky asked, skeptical. 

Sure, Neil did not look threatening, with his short posture and Kevin’s giant body making it seem even lanker.

“How about we move somewhere less dry? The dampness is making me so uncomfortable, I forgot what sweat and humidity felt like,” Neil reasoned and Erik’s confusion to his last sentence was so evident that Neil laughed again.

“It’s safe to go out?” Aaron asked, and Neil nodded in response, flashing them a grin.

By the time the small family had settled into a diner, Andrew’s initial rage and horror at the last 10 hours spent in a fucking cave had dimmed significantly. The pressure in his chest had eased significantly, but Andrew did not like that it might be because of the ghost/mysteriously human's arrival.

Andrew threatened to dismember anyone that tried to sit next to him but efficiently ignored Neil when he slid into the seat. They always sat like that, except this time Neil wasn’t just…energy. He had a mass and it made the leather seats dip slightly, the offered palm hidden beneath the table was felt real and warm, with the right dips and the right bumps, and Neil sighed quietly when Andrew clasped the palms together.

“Hi! I’m Dan, and I’ll be your server today! What can I get for you?” the black woman smiled at them, but Andrew was too busy noting that Neil had freckles, and he had a nose, and his hair looked soft, and he was  _ real. _

Everyone ordered, and Neil took the liberty of doubling his order after Andrew squeezed his hand when Dan looked at him expectantly. No one dared to ask Neil any more questions, he was so  _ happy _ , his easy smile and relaxed shoulders were too unsettling. No one wanted to ask the happy man if he had just committed two murders in their stead.

Neil hummed as he dug into his stack of pancakes. When he was halfway done, he set down his fork and squeezed Andrew’s hand once before opening his mouth.

“Okay, so. I go back, find the assassin crouched in the kitchen, and well I do the deed. Never knew that a prospective murderer would be thinking about tacos and burgers while waiting for his victims. It took me like two hours to get used to walking again, and I’m still kinda wobbly, but man does it feel nice to run again. Riko is finished, and then I stab myself in the heart, or his body, whatever. Panic attack, because oh well, and then I realize that I’m no longer panicking because I no longer have a brain to process emotions. The whole thing took too long, and I got lost on which mine I sent you to. There was a lot of banging and good thing I thought of checking it out because yay I found you guys. And as I step into the cave, oof I see Andrew hurling my knife into an abyss, which ok it was awful, but a little bit offended, and then suddenly, I have feet. Like wow, and then I can feel wetness? So yea,”

Everyone blinked at Neil after he was done. Andrew squeezed his hand again, an apology. Neil laughs again and Andrew wants to drown in it till he can’t remember why he decided to jump in the first place.

“You didn’t have feet?” Nicky squeaked and Neil laughed, laughed, and laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am SO SORRY   
> My laptop broke and it stopped connecting to the internet and i'm having v imp exams v soon so i've been b u s y   
> but here you go  
> hope you enjoy  
> <3


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